Hawaiian Vacation
by captaincrandall
Summary: Post Breaking Dawn. When Rebecca Black writes a letter from her home in Hawaii to her twin Rachel in La Push reporting strange symptoms, the pack knows it's more fantastic than pragnancy or the common cold. The Cullens join in to help with the situation.
1. The Letter Prologue

**All Twilight characters belong to SM. She owns it all. Do I really have to state that at the ****beginning **of every chapter? How about we just agree that it stands for the entire story, okay?

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**_Summary: Post Breaking Dawn. When Rebecca Black writes a letter from her home in Hawaii to her twin Rachel in La Push reporting strange symptoms, the pack knows it's more fantastic than pragnancy or the common cold. The Cullens join in to help with the situation._**

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**The Letter 2008 [Prologue]**  
March 15, 2008

Dearest Rachel,

ALOHA! How're things in La Push? Are you settling in okay now that you're done with college? I'm sure that everything seems smaller now that we are grown up. Is it too lonely without mom? I know I should come for a visit, but tickets are so expensive to fly up there from Hawaii. I guess that Jacob will be in his senior year this year, won't he? I'll bet he's grown since I moved here. I had heard about how it was between Bella Swan and him, and was hoping for the best, but it didn't happen, did it? I sure miss all of you! I need photos!

How is Leah doing? It must be hard for her with Sam going off with Emily. I was sure surprised that it wasn't Leah that got the proposal. Who can tell how things will go? YOU can tell, that's who. I want it ALL, in detail.

The house is coming along nicely. We painted the front room white, but the curtains and pillows are bright colors. The wicker furniture will do until we can afford something more substantial. The cushions have a bold print. I like it. We can only do a little at a time, but it is good to have the room that everybody sees done. The bathroom is next, but must wait until later this year. We're satisfied with the plumbing, but the walls need some patching up and painting. Should I do it in neon pink and green? Well, maybe we'll do it in the spring when we get our next income tax refund.

What is this I hear about you and Paul hanging around together? I sure didn't think you would go for _him_. I figured that you'd probably find someone at college. I only remember him as being a hot-head. What are his intentions? What are _your_ intentions? Do you love him? It's pretty incredible to be in love, and to find the one you want to spend all your life with.

Speaking of the all-of-your-life-guy, I mean all-of-my-life-guy; Mala is so good to me. We do a lot of things together. I work in the shop with him now. I sell the swim suits, the beach clothes, the shells, the wet suits, snorkels, fins, and all of that stuff in the storefront. I take orders for surfboards, but I call Mala up front for the details. He makes the surfboards in the back workroom. We hit the waves quickly during lunchtime, and then it's back to the shop. It's like we can't get enough of each other sometimes. The beach here is so different than ours at First Beach, all sunny and bright. I'm not sure which one I like better.

By the way, don't worry about the things you hear in the newspaper. Two tourists were found dead early in the morning last week, and another is missing as of this morning, but our shop is near the sheriff's office and we're safe. We always walk home together.

Mala is obsessive about me and my safety. It's beginning to bug me. I got in his face about it yesterday. Funny thing was that I was only a little annoyed, but then I suddenly started seeing red, and my fists and arms began to tremble. I guess that I had spent too much time out in the sun, because I'm running a temp, too. It's up over 101, but I don't feel sick or anything. I'm sure that it'll be gone by the weekend. I guess that I'm not done growing, either. I'll bet that I'm finally taller than you now. I've grown an inch this month. Dad won't be able to call me "Little One", and you can't call me "Shorty" any more! Oh, yeah, I might be pregnant, I'm a little late, but don't tell dad yet.

Well, there's not much more to write about. Write soon!

Love,

Your Better Half

Rebecca

. . .

**A/N **** Rebecca? Yes, Rebecca... the other twin. What do you think? Review please and let me know!**


	2. La Push We Have a Problem

**La Push, We Have A Problem**  
Friday, March 18, 2008 (Feat. the Cullens and Blacks)

Rachel gasped when she finished the letter and ran with it to her father. He read it with more decorum, but sat still, staring into nothingness when he was done. Jacob wrenched the letter from his rigid hand and read it, too. Rebecca may not have known what was happening, but the other Blacks certainly did. There was a vampire somewhere near Rebecca, and her body was responding, preparing to change into a werewolf to fight a vampire intruder. There had never been a reason to explain that particular Quileute genetic mutation to her. Those who were not immediately involved with the shape-shifting wolves were blissfully unaware and uninformed. She wasn't involved with the battle fought with the Newborn vampires nor with the Volturi vampires, and she seemed to be safe so far away. The two packs protected their tribe and their land.

Jacob and Sam, the leaders of the packs, called a joint pack meeting with the elders. By the time the wolves arrived, they all heard Jacob's thoughts and knew about Rebecca's condition. They knew all too well what triggered the fever, growth spurt and the angry shakes.

Rachel stated, "I need to get her out of there and tell her what is happening! Leah, you'll come with me, won't you? We'll have to take the soonest flight out of Seattle that we can manage."

"Of course," Leah replied quickly, "No one can tell her like I can what is happening to her, and a protector should be there in case we run into trouble."

"I can't let you go into enemy territory that far away without me there to protect you!" blurted Paul to Rachel. "I'm going!" Leah rolled her eyes at him.

"She's my sister, too! I'm leading this attack," Jacob interjected. He thought of leaving La Push and Renesmee. He had never been apart from Nessie for any length of time. Even contemplating leaving her was painful, but he must protect his sister. He looked to Billy.

Billy firmly said, "We will go together."

"It will be interesting to see if the pack mind communication will still work that far." Sam stated. Embry, Quil and Seth can stay here with my pack, and protect the land and the tribe. Surely the three of you (nodding to Jacob, Leah and Paul) can eliminate the threat to her from any bloodsucker there!"

It was decided that these five would definitely go, three wolves and two humans.

Jacob had to see Nessie. He phased and ran to the Cullen's. He had to tell her that he would be gone for a week or so, but didn't know if he could get the words out. He understood that the problem was his connection to her, and that it would probably be more painful to him than for her. His mind felt fuzzy even trying to form the words in his mind. "Nessie, I'm going to take a little trip…" Nope. "Nessie, my sister is in a jam and needs my help…" He just could not think of going that long without seeing and being with her. It was useless. He had to go. He had to stay. He phased in the trees just at the edge of the clearing and threw on his shorts. As he neared the front porch, Edward was standing there waiting for him.

"Jacob, what's wrong with your sister? Where are you going? Does she need Carlisle?" Edward had heard his thoughts and asked anxiously, thinking it was Rachel, not Rebecca. Since the fight with the Newborns, Carlisle had slowly become the doctor of choice for the pack.

"I only have a guess." Jacob moaned. He thought about the letter. "Looks like I need to go to Hawaii, and I _hope_ we won't need a doctor."

By that time Edward could hear the letter, and the pack meeting, as Jake thought about them to him. "Let's go inside and talk about it with Carlisle. He has a cool head and is good at figuring things out." They walked inside and saw Nessie and Rosalie near Bella painting pictures with water colors. Jacob ran over to Nessie, who squealed as he picked her up and swung her around. She looked like she was about eight years old.

"Don't break anything, dog." Rosalie growled.

"Hey, Jake, it's good to see you!" Bella gave him one of her big smiles. Then she looked closer at his face. "Are you all right? You look worried."

"He has a little problem, but maybe Carlisle can help." Edward downplayed it a bit for Bella and Renesme.

"I'll come right back and we'll have a little race, okay?" Jacob challenged Nessie. She squinted up at him, noting his downfallen expression.

She placed her hand on his face, asking what was wrong, and how could she fix it.

"Don't worry, we'll come up with a solution, I'm sure of it!" he reassured her unsuccessfully. "Paint a pretty picture for me, will you?" he asked, as he put her back down near the table. She jumped up, got a new page and began right away. Rosalie stayed with her, but Bella was not as easily put off. She looked back and forth between the two men, stood up, and joined them to climb the stairs to the Carlisle's study.

"Come in!" Carlisle called out in answer to the polite knock. "Why Jacob, I haven't seen you all day." He looked at him, furrowing his brows and asked, "You don't look like yourself. How can we help?"

Edward nodded as Jacob explained it all to Carlisle and Bella. "…the problem for me is that I can't even begin to think about being that far from Nessie and it might take a while to finish the job. But I must go. I will return to Nessie when my sister is safe.

Carlisle commented, "This is serious. You had these same symptoms before you phased the first time?" Jacob nodded his head. Carlisle continued, "How _long_ did you have these problems before you finally phased?"

Jacob took a deep breath and then answered, "Well, the growth part took a couple of months, and getting ticked off would make my hands shake, but I could usually calm myself down. Then my temperature went up. I finally got to feeling kinda sick all over, and then one little thing that Billy said set me off. I phased right there in the house. It was painful, and scary…scared Billy, too. It took some time for me to get out of the front door. It wasn't long before the pack began to talk to me, to explain what had happened. I'll never forget it. Each of us went through similar symptoms, but the time frames were a bit different."

"I remember some of that, too. He was sort of queasy the day we went to the movies with Mike. It was that night that he phased. When I called his house only half an hour after he dropped me off, he had already phased." Bella added. "Billy said he was sick, but couldn't tell me what was wrong."

"When I treated you after the confrontation with the Volturi, the thermometer almost broke. Let's see. Leah didn't grow as much as you boys did, but did she have the fever, shakes and temper?" Carlisle asked.

"She always had a hot temper, but it got worse when Sam left her for Emily." Jacob added. "It has been getting better since she left Sam's pack, and, yes, she did have the rest of the symptoms."

"Well, that is a problem. A vampire must be in the area, which means that she is a prime candidate to phase, and soon. The fever is one of the last symptoms?" the doctor inquired.

"Yes," Jacob agreed, "and hers is already on the rise."

"Jacob, how can you help her?" Bella interjected.

"First, we plan to go there as soon as possible, any way we can. Second, we will take out the lee-…sorry, the vampire. Third, we will stay long enough to see if we can stop her from phasing. But if that last one doesn't work, fourth, we will help her through it." Jacob counted it all out on his fingers.

"Who is included in 'we'?" Edward inquired.

"Billy, Rachel, Leah, Paul and I." he answered.

"Has anyone been able to _not _phase after getting all of the symptoms?" Carlisle asked, curiously.

"Well, no," Jacob mumbled.

"Has anyone tried to prevent it from happening?" the doctor continued.

"We can see the growth and the other things coming, but we haven't been able to stop it from happening at all. Not even the youngest ones. It's like the chicken pox – you don't know you have it until you break out," Jacob answered and the doctor smiled. "I don't want her to go through it without anyone to help her, like Sam had to do. It was really hard for him, all alone."

"I'm very sorry about that. None of that would have happened if we hadn't come to Forks. We didn't know. We thought that the changing would stop when your great-grandfather died. We wouldn't have come if we had known," said Carlisle.

"It's too late to worry about that now. Our immediate worry is getting the five of us over to Hawaii," he mused...

"You would go that far from Renesme?" asked Bella, her eyebrows high into her forehead in surprise.

"I have to help my sister, even if it hurts me to be separated from Nessie." His face scrunched up in the anticipation of the pain.

"How will you get there?" the ever-curious doctor continued.

"We hope to fly there as soon as we get the money for the tickets. We'll go economy. We'd go freight, if there were such thing. We'll do our best for Rebecca."

"What will you do if any of you get injured?" the doctor was asking a leading question.

"We heal fast." Jacob thumped himself on the chest.

"I mean worse than superficial wounds."

"There are three of us, that won't happen."

"That's what you said with the Newborns. What if there's more than one?" Bella interjected.

"I have a suggestion, and hope I'm not being too presumptuous" Carlisle added, the corners of his mouth turning up, with some hope. Edward stood up straighter. Bella caught the movement and looked at him.

"What is that?" Jacob countered

"Let me come with you."

"Hm-m-m," he stroked his chin, thinking. "Maybe you are right. If anything went wrong, we couldn't go to a local doctor. I guess that it would be all right."

"I also would like to take my wife with me. I feel that my separation from Esme would be as difficult for me, as yours would be from Nessie. Therefore, in order for _us_ both to be at our best, they both should be there, too."

"Not without us!" Bella and Edward said at the same time.

Rosalie had joined them and added, "Let me get this straight. Your sister has a vampire nearby and might become a werewolf herself. You are going to Hawaii to help her whether or not she phases. Carlisle wants to go, too, and Esme, Edward, Bella, and Renesmee? All to stop one vampire? I think that, if you don't mind, Emmett and I will stay here and hold down the fort. Spending a week hiding from the sun with a pack of wolves does not sound fun. I am sure that you can handle it. Alice and Jasper will be back from Brazil in a few days, anyway. That gives Emmett and I a few days alone." she stated with a grin and a twinkle in her eyes. "We will find a way to occupy ourselves, I'm sure."

"That's fine, Rosalie. I guess that means that we four would come, with Nessie. Agreed?"

Jacob looked at them, and they returned his anxious gaze. "All right."

"I will make all of the arrangements for the flight, hotel reservations or, even better, I think, vacation house rentals, and vehicle rentals for all of us, if the five of us accompany the five of you. It's a good thing it is the off season there or we might not be able to find accommodations with this short notice.."

"Wow," Jacob's eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped open.

"I suppose that getting her on a flight back here would be unwise, just in case she phases while in the air. You could tell anyone who asks that you won a trip to Hawaii, so are having a family reunion. We would stay as far from Rebecca as possible so that we don't trigger her. If it were to come to a physical confrontation I'm sure that you can handle anything."

Jacob gawked at the doctor. He blinked his eyes. "You would do that for us?"

"Of course we would," Edward stated, emphatically. "You helped our family when we thought we were doomed. We are friends now, and friends help each other. You are even more than that to me, you are my brother."

Jacob looked from Carlisle, to Edward and then to Bella. "Let me talk with Billy." He reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out his phone. He explained the proposition to Billy, and paused for the response. Edward, Bella and Carlisle all could hear the other side of the conversation with Rachel and Billy, who were both on the phone. At first Rachel and Billy were as incredulous as Jacob had been.

"Is he serious?" Rachel asked.

"Dead serious." Jacob answered.

"Really?" she asked once more.

"Absolutely." he answered again.

"Well, tell him YES! When can we go? I'll get my suitcase packed. I'll call Leah. I don't think she is phased right now. Paul is just coming up the walk. I'll tell him, too. You can talk with Sam." She was both relieved and excited. It had been years since the twins had seen each other. Now that Rebecca was in danger, Rachel would do anything for her "other half," as they called each other.

"Be sure to tell them thank you." added Billy, "Tell us when you know more."

"Sure, sure." he said and he folded the phone back into the little pocket.

He turned back to Carlisle. "Thank you very much from all of us."

"Think nothing of it. You are family. Now, if you'll excuse me, we'll arrange the details." He added without raising his voice, "Esme, will you join me?"

Rachel called Rebecca as soon as the reservations were made. She didn't want to surprise or anger Rebecca in any way; as far as Rebecca knew it was a family reunion, a chance for them to get away from the freezing rain.

. . .

**A/N ****The Cullens in Hawaii? Never thought it would happen, eh? Review and tell me how crazy I am!**


	3. Now Wolves Can Fly

**Now Wolves Can Fly**  
Saturday the 19th (Feat. the Cullens and Blacks)

They flew out the next evening from Seattle on a privately chartered jet just after dusk so that the arrival in Honolulu would be before dawn. The flight seemed to drag on forever. Jacob sat with Renesme. Carlisle, Esme, Bella and Edward sat behind them and Paul and Rachel sat in front of them, holding hands. Billy had a special seat right in the front and Leah sat with him. It was a big enough jet to allow turning the chairs around and to allow them all to move around. The flight attendants kept bringing food and snacks to them at regular intervals, and the Quileutes didn't mind eating the food for the Cullens. Paul enjoyed all the food he could get and ate it with relish. Renesme thought she would try this new human food as long as she was on her first flight. They were all too keyed up to enjoy a movie, and Jacob was the most frantic. When his hands began to tremble Renesme would pat them, and sing a quiet little song to soothe him. He tried to sleep, but to no avail. Most of the flight was boring. They were all anxious for Rebecca and her Mala, as well as for the people on the beaches that were disappearing. If they were right, they needed to find the vampire soon, before any others were killed or changed. They had a lot on their minds.

"How are we gonna find a vampire along the whole north part of the island? It took us months to track down that red-head, and look how that ended." Paul ripped open a bag of peanuts and dumped the contents into his mouth.

"Well, first of all, the entire island is less than 600 square miles. At its longest points it's only about 40 miles wide and 30 miles long." Edward answered, pulling open a map for everyone to look at, "It shouldn't take long to scout the entire island for the right scent. The hardest part for _us_ will be avoiding people during the day while we are looking. So we'll search the forests and the sea during the day and the cities at night. You," he gestured to Jacob and the other werewolves," will take the day search and the most populated areas while you are with your sister. I sure wish that I could talk with Alice, but the Amazon jungle is so scarcely settled that there is no phone service there." He flipped out his phone and dialed the number. No one answered. He texted her a message with the plane's internet access asking her to phone him as soon as she had a signal.

"We'll look for clues and scents wherever we go, too. We'll pretend that we are sight-seers. Well, we will actually _be_ sight-seers, but we will go and look in whatever place it takes. Rebecca will show us around town tomorrow. It's a starting place." Jacob retorted.

"We found the perfect houses adjacent to the forest, yet they are over a mile apart," Esme added. "The forest will be a perfect starting point for us. No one will be around to see any of us."

"We can also check out the ocean during the night. People would not see us sparkle underwater, and we can make sure he or she isn't traveling that way." Carlisle said, plans beginning to form in his mind already.

"How will we smell anything underwater?" Bella questioned.

"We won't be looking for a scent under the water, we'll be watching for the vampire," said Carlisle.

"Can Jacob show me how to surf and swim in the ocean?" chimed in Renesmee.

"Jacob will be very busy with his sister, but I can show you how to swim." answered Edward.

"Okay," she agreed.

"What in the world is a vampire doing in a sunny place like Hawaii?" asked Rachel. They have rain, too, but it is sunny most of the time."

"Maybe it was a beach bum or surfer before it was changed," Guessed Jacob.

"That could be some of it. We are frozen with our likes and dislikes when we are changed, after all," replied Carlisle.

"Our kind travels all over the world. They don't all go towards the Arctic. He might be simply roaming," added Esme.

"Ugh," snorted Paul.

Carlisle took the lead in the planning, "I looked up the news accounts on the internet. On the 4th of the month, a Friday, one man disappeared out of a tour group that was at a Waimea Bay Luau, and another man from a different party disappeared from Sunset Beach Park. His tour guide said he didn't appear for dinner there, and never has been found," he pointed at a map. "They found the first body not far from where he was last seen alive. The first two aren't very far apart from each other, an easy run for any of us. The next one went missing at Hauula Beach Park yesterday on the 18th. That beach is bigger, but not all that far to travel from the others. They haven't found a body for that one, either. It is interesting that they are all men. The interval, one week, between the disappearances would indicate to me that there is probably only one vampire. We will have to look for clues why one would come here so that we can figure out where to find him. We will let Jacob and the pack search the North Shore area because that's where the scent has had effects on Rebecca, and that's where he seems to be striking. We will start in the Honolulu and Waikiki area and work our way North. We will try to cut off escape routs, or find if he has been there."

"It could have easily walked overland in those two weeks, even with the mountains in the middle," said Billy.

"There is one more thing," added Carlisle. "We do not hunt this vampire to kill him. We are not the Volturi. This one is doing what most of our kind does. They hunt at one place and then move another, to avoid notice. If we find him, we'll do our best to get him to move on. We won't kill him."

"Well, if we find him, we will." Silence hung on the crowd. "I guess that's about it," Jacob concluded. "We'll talk with Rebecca first to calm her down and get any details from locals after that."

"That's all we can do for now. We'll know more after we get there," Esme said soothingly to Paul. He wasn't soothed. She looked over to Edward, _"Maybe we should have brought Jasper and Alice, but it seemed like bringing six of us would be 'overkill'."_ Edward smiled at the word, "_and we couldn't wait for them to return from the Amazon._"

"Come over here, big guy," Rachel cooed. Paul sat down at her feet. She turned him away from her and began massaging and pounding on his huge back and strained neck. She played with his hair, what there was of it, and settled him down. She massaged his face, and he closed his eyes. Before long he fell asleep. She leaned back in her chair and soon was also sleeping. He slept louder than she did.

They were still only half way to their destination.

Renesme wanted to see everything on the jet. She was so adorable that the attendants gave her a mini tour. There wasn't all that much to see, but she came back with strawberries dipped in white and milk chocolate. She wasn't sure what exactly she wanted to do with them. They were so pretty she wanted to save them. Bella assured her that they would taste good. She tentatively took a nibble from each one. She liked the white covered one better than the other, but eventually ate both. The meal was interesting to look at, and she tried every item, and discovered that she liked some of it, especially the rare steak. It was hard for her not to just suck out the juices. Everyone else got their strawberries for dessert a little later. The scenery out of the window was the same hour after hour. The only variation was the shapes of the clouds under them, but she soon lost interest in that as well. For a while she listened to the iPod her father had given her, but that grew tiresome. In the end she crawled into Jacob's lap and fell to sleep. Jacob watched satellite TV for a couple of programs before he konked out, too. Rachel, Leah and Billy got pillows and blankets and also tried to settle down to get some rest.

Edward and Bella shared a book about surfing and the North Shore, looking for any information they could gather before their arrival. Carlisle and Esme held hands, put their seats back, and then she cuddled into his arms.

They hit a bit of turbulence after four hours. The Quileutes did not have much experience flying and Paul woke up in a bit of a panic, but the crew promised it was normal, so with Rachel's help he was able to fall back asleep before their impending arrival.

The bustle of the attendants began again just before the captain informed them that they were just coming in to Honolulu. He gave them landing precautions, and turned on the "Fasten Seat Belts" lights. It seemed that the tiny lights of the islands came out of nowhere, and then they grew. It was in the early hours of the morning local time. The landing was smooth, and Esme thanked the crew for making the trip pleasant. They gathered their luggage and descended. The Escalades were waiting for them. They got out the street maps with directions to each house that the agent had faxed them.

Rachel called Rebecca. "Hello?" Rebecca answered sleepily. She perked up when she heard Rachel's voice. "Oh! I am so glad that you are here! I've been having weird dreams and waiting for you to call. Now that I know that you are safe I might sleep better, if I can sleep at all. I am so excited. See you later in the morning, 'bye." Rachel put the phone away, got into the SUV and curled up against the window. Leah claimed another window while the guys packed the wheelchair and suitcases in the back. Paul helped Billy get settled next to Leah, and he sat with Rachel in the back.

Esme quickly got into the SUV with the tinted windows and took Carlisle's hand as soon as he sat down next to her and got the car going. Edward fastened Renesmee's seatbelt and got in next to Bella. He already had the luggage in the back.

Carlisle reminded Jacob, "We'll look around the forest tonight and tomorrow. I'll call you at dinnertime to make further plans. Wherever they take you tomorrow, keep a sharp lookout, and tell us if you catch a whiff of anything dangerous."

"Sure, sure," Jacob agreed.

The other Quileutes were asleep in the back before Jacob got onto the freeway.

It would have been a dark drive, but the lack of sunlight would have only been a problem to Rachel and Billy, the humans. It was unfamiliar territory, but he still made it to the house meant for the pack in half an hour.

They got the keys from a combination-locked box. There were four bedrooms, three baths, a modern kitchen and common room with big windows facing out to the forest. Covered front porches with steps led down into the yard. Rachel and Leah claimed the biggest bedroom immediately. Jacob helped Billy. Though it was cramped, the guys brought the suitcases in and crashed onto the beds in the third bedroom.

. . .

**A/N **** What do you think of Renesmee's foray into food tasting? What do you think she would like to eat? Review and see if we agree!**


	4. Here and There

**Here and There**  
Sunday the 20th (Feat. the Cullens)

As Edward and Carlisle got everything into the rented house Esme and Bella looked around to get the lay of the house and the land. It was still dark, but that didn't make any difference to them. They laid Renesmee down in the smallest bedroom. They couldn't go far from her, but they could hear her breathing and steady and strong heartbeat from the borders. This was the smaller of the two houses, which were apart from each other. It still might be too close for Rebecca. They would not go to that house unless invited. They had plenty to do, since their job was to search the entire island as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

When they got their luggage and everything settled in the house the four of them sat down to the table and took out the map. They divided the island into different search areas for the coming hunt. They would search the reserves, the mountains, the farms, the plantations, and less populated areas during the day, and go to the tourist places during the night. They would split the nights so that someone would be with Renesmee while she slept.

The first night they made sure that the area in close proximity was safe. They ranged a couple of miles around without sensing anything out of the ordinary and returned to the house to plan out specifically where to go the next day. With that settled, they waited for the dawn.

Bella had breakfast ready for her daughter, which was a new thing for her. They had all hunted before getting on the plane, but they weren't sure how long they would be there, and Bella didn't want Renesmee to get thirsty. Bella figured that it would be a good time for her to introduce "people food" to Renesmee again. She had tried before, but with little success. Normally, she hunted with them, only they were trying to not hunt in Hawaii at all. They bought some food for her. She gagged at the thought of cereal, but eggs weren't as bad.

"Okay, Renesme, I have cooked three eggs for you, one of them is what is called a 'soft boiled egg', which is the roundish one. The fluffy one is a scrambled egg and the white one with the runny yellow middle is a 'sunny side up' egg," coaxed Bella.

"Do I have to?" Renesmee whined.

"Yes you have to, just a bite to begin with," continued Bella

"Just a bite? How big of a bite?"

"Let me show you," answered her mother as she filled a fork with some scrambled egg. Renesmee eyeballed her stern mother, grimaced, but opened her mouth. Bella inserted half of the forkful, and Nessie chewed it slowly.

"You know, when you were in my tummy just about all I could eat was eggs the first few weeks. I loved them in any way that they were cooked. Daddy cooked them for me lots of times."

Her little eyes grew bigger. She chewed a little bit faster, and then blurted out, "Really? You ate eggs? I have never seen you eat anything!"

"I was still human then,"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot," and she cleared her mouth.

"Now this time, have a bite of the boiled egg," she said as she cut it into pieces. "Make sure you get both the white and the yellow parts."

It wasn't quite as hard to get her to try it. "It's not as bad as I thought, mommy."

"Good girl. Now chew it up and we'll try the last one to find out which one you like the best. You know, some people like to have a piece of toast or a biscuit with that egg. They dip it into the yolk and eat it that way."

"Do I have to eat the toast?" she countered, with a worried face.

"Not if you don't want to, but it is really good that way," coaxed Edward.

"All right, I'll try one bite with the toast," and she did.

"Now that you have tried them, what do you think? Which one will you finish?" Bella asked.

"Hm-m-m. Scrambled, I think. It wasn't so bad." She finished the scrambled egg. "Can I eat the steak now?"

"Yes, dear, you can eat the steak. Chew it up well before you swallow it." Bella said.

"Do I have to actually chew it up and swallow it? Can't I just drain it?" Nessie hoped.

Esme spoke up, tenderly, "That wouldn't be very ladylike, dear. Try it the way your mother asked you to eat it, please."

Renesmee made a face, but did as she was told. It wasn't a very big piece of meat, after all.

There was no way that Bella or Esme could get her to eat vegetables. "They are rabbit foods," she declared and would not eat them.

When the breakfast ordeal was over Edward got out his phone and dialed Alice's number, just in case she might answer it, and waited. She answered, but the reception was bad. "Alice, it's good to hear your voice. How are Kachiri, Senna and Zafrina?"

"They're just fine and send their good wishes. Zafrina wants to know when you are bringing Renesme to visit," Alice replied. "We were getting ready to leave to go home when I saw what you are doing. I saw that you were going to need our help. Jasper and I exchanged our tickets from Rio to Seattle for tickets from Rio to Hawaii via Guadalajara and are now on our way to help. We'll arrive at about seven this evening."

"That's wonderful. We'll pick you up at the airport. Maybe you can give us a starting place for our hunt when you get here," He replied.

The day went slowly. They explored the area with Renesmee, to show her the forest on Hawaii. Finally they drove to Honolulu and waited for Alice and Jasper to disembark. She ran over to hug Renesmee first, and then greeted the others cordially. "Oh, it's so good to see you. I can't wait to tell you about our trip! Zafrina showed us all around the rivers, the rainforest and everything there. There are lots of ways that they are like our rainforest in Forks, too, but then they are different, too. I took lots of pictures for Nessie to see. Oh, yes Nessie! Zafrina sends her love to you and invites you to come and visit. The rainforest where Zafrina and her sisters live is so incredible! We visited them for three days while she showed us some of the most amazing places. And now here we are in Hawaii in another rain forest!"

Jasper rolled his eyes and sent out a calming feeling to her before she exploded. He gave everyone a hug. "I never thought I would come to Hawaii. We are at your service, but I'm happy to be here, too."

They had four suitcases, well, she had three and he had one. They brought Alice and Jasper up to speed on the situation. It seemed a waste to drive all the way to the house, only to return to the South end of Oahu to hunt for the scent of a vampire, so they began right away. "We really don't know where to start. We know where bodies were found and that is about all. They were found on two sides of the North Shore peninsula, and about a week apart. It has been long enough that he might be about ready to attack again soon. He must have been in the Waimea area for a couple of weeks, because it affected Rebecca. When we get you all settled in we will look at the map and rearrange the plans we made earlier.

"Did the flight help you relax? Kachiri probably ran you ragged, and so might we. Are you ready for another bout with another vampire?" wondered Esme aloud.

"We're fine, mom," said Alice and Jasper filled the car with peace. Renesmee almost fell asleep.

"Can you take a look and see if there is a stranger planning anything in our vicinity?" Bella asked Alice.

She put her fingers to her temples, closed her eyes and sat for a minute. "I see fields, shops, military stuff, water, and sand castles right now. That's it." she said with a little frown. Edward opened his eyes after sharing her visions.

"Thanks, anyway. It sounds like what we have planned will go easily tonight. Don't forget to look at the sights as you go through them. We may never get back to this place. Rainbows are hard to keep from happening down here," instructed Carlisle.

The rest of the evening they covered the cities of Honolulu and Waikiki, hitting the hotels, the city, the malls, and the shops, which made Alice happy. Everyone could dress the part of sight-seers now, with colorful swim suits, muumuus, shirts, white pants and beach shoes for tomorrow. She got things for Rosalie and Emmett, too, so that they wouldn't feel left out.

They walked past the restaurants, and down the main streets. Renesme tried Hawaiian Ice, which wasn't too bad. They flitted from luaus to tour groups, to the beaches. They looked like they were a tour group, with three couples, holding hands and staying close to each other, and one child to finish the picture. It was hard to keep Renesmee away from the beach, but they reminded her that daddy would teach her how to swim in the ocean, but where it was less crowded. She agreed, reluctantly.

Carlisle called Billy after they skirted the perimeter of Honolulu and found no sign of the vampire. He told him that Honolulu and the surrounding metropolitan area seemed clear, fortunately, for the people in that crowded area.

There were a lot of people out until about midnight when they slowly went to their homes or rooms or beds, but all was clear. These areas were far from the attacks, though, so they didn't do a blade by blade of grass search. He hadn't been there.

At midnight they gathered back at the SUV and drove to the house. Renesmee fell asleep the moment they sat down. She would be asleep until way past dawn.

Edward, Jasper, Alice, Esme and Carlisle went through the taro and pineapple plantations. They ran through the forest reserves on the West inland side of the island. No hits there, either. Esme and Bella drove Renesmee to the house to sleep in the bed.

Everyone had returned to the house. "Well, I guess we are eliminating a lot of territory," remarked Edward as they poured over the map.

"I know it is hard for you ladies, but could you take the shopping tour on the road in the evening and cover from Kahana up to Turtle Bay on the east side of the North Shore?" asked Jasper, grinning to his wife.

"I'll think about it…Okay, I think we can handle that Sweetie," and she kissed him on the cheek.

"Wait a minute. I ask you to go shopping and all I get is a peck on the cheek?" he was aghast.

"What more would you like here in mixed company my dearest?" she replied, glancing around. Her fingers combed through his hair and her eyes twinkled. A little grin began to form at the corners of her mouth.

Carlisle cleared his throat. Edward saw what was forming in her mind and put up his blockades. Bella didn't need to have mind reading capabilities to figure out what she had in mind. She was having similar thoughts toward her own husband.

Jasper looked at his wife and gulped. "You know," he swallowed again, "I think that I saw a place not too far from here that could harbor a vampire. I think that I'm going to go check it out. It will be a few hours before dawn. That should be enough time."

"Do you need any help?" Alice winked her eye at him.

"If you'd like, you could tag along," he grinned back at her,

"Well I could tidy up the house here." She picked up a blanket. "We haven't had time…"

He grasped her hand and took off with her in tow, blanket and all. "We sure haven't had enough time!" Her giggle grew a bit dimmer with distance.

"Well, I would like to take a swim. I saw the pool as we drove in. Would you care to join me, dear?" Carlisle smiled to his wife.

"I'll beat you there!" she challenged him, grabbing towels, but not taking time to grab bathing suits. They were gone before Bella blinked.

"All right!" whispered Edward to Bella. "Privacy at last! Well, Love, have you got any ideas about how we could best use this time?"

"Nope, none at all. I'm going to leave the thinking to you tonight. I'm sure you can be inventive." It's a good thing that they didn't have their new Hawaiian clothes on. They would have been ripped to pieces. They lose more clothes that way.

. . .

**A/N **** Eggs? Of course eggs. Review and tell me how much you love it!**


	5. Fun in the Sun

**Fun in the Sun  
**Monday, the 21st (feat. the Blacks)

It took until almost nine to get Jacob up and into the car. They stopped at a McDonald's they saw on the way to Rebecca's house, to buy breakfast. They took the food to her house to eat it, though, to keep the car clean.

Jacob began to think back to when he first phased. Neither he, nor any of the guys in the tribe had any warning at all about turning into wolves before it happened to each of them. Others in the pack, as well as the elders of the tribe could see the sudden growth, but no one could warn the boys what was in store for them. Who would believe it? He wondered if the same thing was in store for his sister. Hopefully, not.

The boys had no idea that the old stories were true about the "men-who-turned-into-wolves." They found out the hard, painful way what they were – shapeshifters, the tribal secret society, the protectors, the pack. Now there were two packs, Sam's and Jacob's. Paul was in Sam's pack so he would 'hear' Sam, his Alpha. Leah was in Jacob's, and so when they were phased they could hear each other's thoughts. Hopefully, the two Alphas could hear each other, even as far away as they were, but that was yet to be seen.

Mala and Rebecca were ecstatic to have them at their house. They had taken the week off to be with her family. As they showed the new tourists the sights, Jacob, Paul and Leah slyly smelled around, seeking the scent of danger. They all sensed nothing, which was reassuring. At least the vampire hadn't been near enough to her to do damage so far. It was bad enough that it had been near enough to trigger this response to her body. The Blacks and Paul got the tour of the shop where both Mala and Rebecca worked. Rachel bought a swimsuit that matched a shirt for Paul. They walked all around the little town; introducing the family to everyone they knew.

Late in the afternoon they cooled their heels at the little house. It was small, but clean. The front room was just as she had described it, and, sure enough, the bathroom, though functional, needed to be fixed next and painted up. The kitchen was small, but okay for two. This crowd, however, totally overwhelmed it. Everyone got into the SUV and drove to the store to buy groceries enough for the family and drove to the rented house.

"How did you two meet each other? I never heard how this surfer from Samoa and a Quileute Indian girl from Washington ever met in the first place," asked Paul during the drive.

"Mala came to the peninsula with a group of kids. He came into the store where I was getting some things and it was love at first sight," began Rebecca, with a glint in her eyes as she looked into his.

He continued the story, "She was on the opposite side of a shelf. We both came up after picking something up and saw each other. Our eyes locked. My mouth dropped open. I couldn't breathe. She smiled and I was lost. I told her my name and demanded hers. Luckily for me she gave it to me. We went to pay for what we were buying and I followed her around like a puppy dog for the rest of the day. The rest of my group thought that they were there to study the high latitude rainforest, but I knew we came all this way for me to find her. She is my shining star," he said tenderly to her.

"As soon as I saw him I got dizzy. The world shifted around me. He looked so goofy standing there with his eyes bugging out and his mouth wide open that I couldn't help but grin at him. I was drawn to him like we were opposite magnets. He was so handsome, and big. I wanted to touch him, to hold his hand, but I forbid myself to make such a spectacle out of myself. He stammered out his name and asked me mine. I didn't know I had told him mine until he said it back to me. It was like he shined brightly from the very beginning. He was like my Noontime Sun. He followed me around the rest of the day until his group had to go. He called me three or four times a day after that while they were in area and we wrote each other daily when he went back home to Hawaii. It hurt to not be with him. Sundays were the worst because there is no mail delivery, but they were also the best, because he would call. We could only afford to talk for fifteen minutes, though, and I would cry after we hung up.

His college was already out for the summer and he came to my high school graduation as a surprise. I saw him from the stage and almost ran to him on the spot. Rachel had to physically hold me in place. I bounced up and down in my chair, which irritated her and caught the eyes of the teachers. As soon as we were done I bowled right through the people between us and ran right into his arms. Then he pushed me away from him and got down on one knee, in front of the whole town, and proposed to me."

Mala interrupted her, "I had written a letter to Billy, telling him I was coming but to keep it as a surprise from her. I got there just before the graduation began and found Billy. I asked him for her hand in marriage. He looked surprised but looked me in the eye. I told him I'd take care of her forever, but that we were meant for each other. He had heard from Rachel all about me and how crazy she was for me. He scared me because he took a minute or two to answer," Mala said, grinning like a Cheshire at her.

Billy added, "I figured she would do it, anyway. I just wanted to string out the suspense a little. It had worried me when she told me how her sense of gravity seemed to change when they first saw each other. It was all she could focus on. She was miserable and almost sick when he left. I worried for her health and sanity. Getting letters was what kept my princess going. How could I refuse?"

"His family came up for the wedding. The whole tribe was there, too. You don't remember the wedding?" puzzled Rachel.

"Sure I remember _that_," answered Paul, "but I was only a kid."

"Okay, Paul, we told you about us, now you tell me about the two of you. How in the world did you capture my other half?" she asked him back.

Rachel answered before Paul could get a word in edgewise, "When I came home after graduating from the university he wouldn't leave me alone, but he was so good to me that I lost my irritation for his following me around. He treats me like a queen. I see him differently that I did growing up. I think I may even be in love with him now," declared Rachel, getting quiet all of a sudden, and blushing.

"Really?" asked Paul, eagerly.

"Yes," she answered, shyly.

"You never said that before," he looked like he would pop with excitement.

"I was waiting for you to be a gentleman and tell me first."

"Wow! That makes the trip worth it, whatever happens," he exclaimed, and grabbed her in a big hug and tried to kiss her...

"Paul, too much! Can't breathe!" she gasped.

"If you don't mind," Leah interjected.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," he said sheepishly, holding her a little looser, but not letting her go. He kissed the top of her head, and she blushed deeper.

Rebecca laughed at them, "She never told me either, what kind of a sister would keep her other half in the dark like that?" She took some groceries and headed up the stairs toward the kitchen.

"That's enough for now, Paul. Let's get it all put away," Rachel said, tearing away from Paul, grabbing bags of food and heading up the stairs behind her sister, before she could turn around to ask more questions. Paul watched the two of them head away from him. He hadn't seen the two of them together since the wedding, and he had not particularly noticed either of them, anyway. They looked a lot alike. The only way to tell the twins apart had been their hair. Rebecca's was long and dark, straight down to her waist, while Rachel had had hers cut around her jaw line during her last year at school. They even sounded alike to everyone but Jacob and Billy (and Paul, now).

"You sure have a lot of food for just the five of you," commented Mala, who grabbed grocery bags and followed them. He had beautiful smooth, dark skin, not very different in shade from Rebecca's. He wore a flowered shirt over his cut-off jeans. He was over six foot tall, with dark brown eyes and straight black hair. His arm had a family tattoo on it. He was broad in the shoulders and muscular, but was not as muscular as Jacob and Paul.

"We're still growing boys!" Paul called out.

"Well somebody had better stop feeding you so that you'll stop growing. Soon you won't fit through doors," replied Mala.

"Oh, that hurts," cringed Paul.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of feeding you," Rachel said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"I can handle that," he said. He grabbed her, swooped her down into a dancing dip and gave her a big kiss.

"Okay, Okay, you two, that's enough of that. We are busy here," Rebecca chided.

"Oh, yeah," Paul said, bringing her up to stand straight, and to catch her breath.

Rebecca got back to the original subject, "I think we'll fix dinner tomorrow night. We'll have our own Luau. We'll dig a pit for A Kalua Pig, and I can fix huli-huli chicken, Rice and Mac salad for you."

"You hear that Jake? That's what I am talkin' about! I can hardly wait!" exclaimed Paul who wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulder.

Jacob had caught a glimpse of Billy through the open door. "Sure, sure," he said automatically. He looked anxiously at him, wondering if they had found anything.

Billy was sitting on the porch, talking quietly into the phone. "You found nothing? Well maybe soon. The scent was very washed out here. It hasn't been here in about a week. All right, good-bye." He watched them get dinner ready as he hung it up. He shook his head sadly to Jacob.

There was a BBQ grill, hot dog holders, charcoal, wood, lighter fluid and barbecue utensils in the carport locker and they hauled them out. The three girls brought out salads and sodas and dishes. Paul brought out a couple of bags of chips, too, one for himself, and one for the rest. The guys set up the charcoal and lit it. They watched the wood as the flames soared heavenward. They each took a holder and skewered the hot dogs to cook them in the flames. Paul took the prize for "Most Dogs Eaten" and went on to his bag of chips. Mala, however, drank more soda than anyone else, which began the belching war.

"Oh, gross!" cried Rachel.

"Stop that!" commanded Rebecca.

"That is really disgusting!" moaned Leah.

Jacob was looking into the fire. He was missing Nessie. He wondered where they had been all day, without finding anything. He wished she were here to tell him all abut her day with her hand to his cheek. It had been the longest length of time they had been apart, and he longed to be with her. He also wished he, Rachel and Rebecca were all kids again, with no more pressing worries than homework and chores around the house. And mama would be here.

"No! No sad faces," Rachel called to him as she threw a crunched up napkin at him. He caught it easily, stood up and went over to sit with Rachel and Leah, smiling at them. The sun had set and the sky was darkening.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Leah asked, curiously.

"Well, I'd like to take you to the beaches, maybe give you a demo on surfing," answered Mala. We'll drive to some of the places that are on TV in the tournaments. Would you like to see the Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay?"

"Oh, yes, cried Leah. I've also heard of Sunset Beach. Can we go there, too?" she asked slyly. These were two of the kidnap locations and she wanted to check them out.

"We have all day to see wherever you want," he answered, "Hawaii has the best beaches and waves in the world."

The rest of the night was spent chatting about the old times when the three of them were growing up. Paul couldn't stand to be away from Rachel, and was glad when she would nestle into his chest. His heart nearly burst with happiness. However, he tried to control his thoughts, knowing that Jacob and Leah would hear it all when they phased. But it was hard work, and he was not known for patience. Besides, it was Jacob's sister he was thinking about. He'd be in real trouble. He just concentrated on the moment.

They turned in early. Mala and Rachel took the last bedroom. The girls still took the big bedroom, and impulsive Paul had a worse time not thinking of himself and Rachel going to a room like Mala and Rebecca did. Instead he had to share quarters with Jacob.

There was only one way to progress in this relationship and that was to take the next step. Could he do it? He surely loved her, he was totally hers. Now that he knew that she loved him too, what else could he do? He would have to ask her to marry him. This was Hawaii, a romantic place, right? How could she refuse him? He was big and strong and worshipped the ground she walked on. He would do anything for her. His mind started to think of them as a bride and groom and then considered the honeymoon…and stopped dead in his tracks. Jacob would kill him if he continued thinking of her like that. Business, he'd have to remember that they had a serious mission. He chanted to himself, "We are here to help Rebecca. We are here to help Rebecca. We are here to…" but Rachel's eyes were so beautiful when they gazed into his while the picnic was going on. The fire burned in more than one way that night.

. . .

**A/N **** Have you ever been to a luau? What was your favorite food. Review and tell me yours and I'll tell you mine!**


	6. Finding a Straw in a Haystack

**Finding a Straw in a Haystack**  
Monday, the 21st (Feat. the Cullens)

By an odd coincidence, neither Jasper and Alice, nor Carlisle and Esme had found traces of any other vampires in hours of being outside.

No one had bothered Edward and Bella either. Bella was beginning to like far off exotic places for her private time with Edward, first Isle Esme and now Hawaii.

Esme and Carlisle came into the house first, and a few minutes later Jasper and Alice came in. He had some grass sticking in his hair and Alice grabbed it and pulled it out as they entered the kitchen. They all gathered back at the table just as Renesmee finished eating an egg that Bella had scrambled. Edward looked at her and smiled, "Nessie, you ate breakfast very well. Sometimes you might find yourself in a place where you will need to eat human food, and it's good to practice."

"I try," she said, looking into his eyes dutifully.

"I can see how you are trying, and it's about time for me to keep my promise to you. Let's go to the beach tonight after we do today's searching."

She squealed and hugged him around his neck. "Tonight?"

"Yes, at sunset. I hear that Sunset Beach was named for its pretty sunsets. We will play in the waves and show you a little bit about swimming in the ocean. We'll even build a sand castle," he promised.

"A castle?" she pestered.

"Yes, if you can be patient today," concluded Edward.

Alice shut her eyes and was quiet for a minute. "I don't see that we will find any clues, but clouds will gather during the morning and it will rain a bit this afternoon. At least we can go see the sights with the sun hiding. There must be some shops somewhere on the East coast of Oahu. We'll gather back at the house before the sun sets," she said. "Then we can go to the beach. There will be less clouds because of the rain and the sunset will be wonderful!"

"Okay," approved Renesmee, giving her daddy a kiss goodbye.

Carlisle, Edward and Jasper kissed their wives goodbye and were off in a flash.

They planned to check the Milliani Makua Launani Valley and the Ewa Forest Reserve and up to the foothills of the inland mountains from top to bottom. They ran parallel lines through the wilderness to cover more area, but were close enough to each other to be able to hear a yell if something was found. The whole island was a shorter distance than running to Seattle, so they didn't have much trouble covering the landscape. There were many beautiful birds and plants all around, in all of the colors of the rainbow. Evidently some livestock got loose from the early settlers and have made the best of a place without predators. They came across a couple feral dog packs, but the dogs scattered quickly out of the way. There were a lot of wild chickens. At one point a wild boar with piglets became defensive and stood in front of her babies, grunting and pawing in the ground. However, there was absolutely no trace of a vampire being present.

Alice, Esme, Bella and Renesmee started at Ka'a'awa and drove from little shop to little shop. They got out of the car each time, looked and sniffed around, buying things if they saw anything that caught their eye. Nessie was getting close to having an entire wardrobe of Hawaiian clothes and swim suits for her current size and up a few sizes so she could grow into them. She had a set of pails and buckets with which to build sand castles, a souvenir Frisbee, sandals, a straw hat, a baseball cap that said "Turtle Beach" and a big beach towel. They went to Laie and looked a bit at the Polynesian Cultural Center without going in. The predicted clouds had gathered and it was raining.

They got to the very northernmost tip of the island at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, and walked around even though it was still sprinkling and overcast. Turtle Bay interested Renesmee a lot with the big green sea turtles in the sand. They enjoyed the walk and the beauty, but they didn't find what they came to look for. "How can we go from the South to the North and not find a trace?" Bella asked.

"I'm not sure, dear," mused Esme. It is odd that the only place that the scent ever was found was in the area where Rebecca lived, and _we_ didn't even pick that up, the Blacks did. By the way, I wonder how Rebecca is and how things are going with them?" she pondered aloud.

"I hope they have more success than we have had so far. Except for the cute new clothes and things, we haven't had much luck at all," griped Alice.

By the end of the soggy shopping tour they proved Alice to be right, again. They found no hint of the scent that they were looking for and it had rained on them. They headed for the house and met the guys, who had had similar luck. It was still mid-afternoon.

"At least we have seen Oahu, all over," commented Carlisle, smiling.

"Yes, we have all seen parts of it, but not together as a family," complained Esme. "Maybe we could come here another time just for the fun of it."

"If we did, I'd like to try one of the less populated islands. Kaua'i sounds beautiful, and is more peaceful," added Jasper.

"I hear that the volcanoes on the Big Island are spectacular," bubbled Alice.

"Oh, we could bring the _whole family_," concluded Esme, missing Rosalie and Emmett. "It would be just for fun."

The phone rang in Carlisle's pocket. He got it out and opened it. "Hello, Jacob…"

The words "Jacob Black" registered on the screen of the phone and into Carlisle's head, where Edward saw it. He quickly went over to his daughter and said, a little louder than necessary, "Nessie, if you change into one of your bathing suits, I will teach you the basics of swimming here in the pool. Swimming should be easy for you to pick up, and the calm pool is a good place to start. I want you to feel comfortable in the water before you go to the ocean. We have a couple of hours before we can leave for the beach, anyway."

"Yeah!" she cried and tore out of the living room to get changed. The women changed, too. They went down to bask in the sun as it peeped out of the clouds. They were in the privacy of their back yard, and this was something they didn't get to do very often. Jasper and Carlisle looked at maps. They tried to find where the best place would be for a vampire to walk up from the ocean onto the beach discreetly.

Edward held Nessie's little hand as they walked down to the pool. On the way he picked up a few rocks. He let go of her hand when they were inside the fence and walked to the edge and told her, "I am going to jump into the water. I'll try not to splash you." She took a step back. He jumped into the middle of the pool so that the water wouldn't get to her and then walked quickly over to her. Her eyes were gleaming, yet apprehensive. "Just think of it as a big bathtub. I'm going to pour a couple of handfuls of water on you to get you used to the water. It seems fairly warm to me." He took a couple of handfuls to dribble on her arms and legs.

"That's okay, daddy, it's not even cold," she replied and sat at the pool's edge to dangle her feet in the water.

"Good, let's go for a walk in the water." He picked her up, and walked all over the pool. She was delighted. He took her over to the edge. "It's fun to jump into the water. You jump to me and I'll catch you. Go ahead, now" he instructed her.

She looked at him dubiously, and then coiled up and sprang at him. He caught her easily and they took off around the pool again. "Again!" she cried to him. And she did it half a dozen times. He took her over to the steps where she could stand with the water up to her waist.

"Good work! Now I want to make sure that you are ready to go under the water. Watch me." He took an exaggerated breath and held it, submerging himself, counting to three on his fingers, which he held above the water, and resurfaced. "Are you ready?"

"Sure. I can do that." She took a big breath and bent her knees until her face was below the water. She counted on her fingers and came up for air. "I did it!" she crowed wiping the water out of her eyes.

"Try again, only you don't need to count. Come up by pushing up with your feet on the bottom of the pool when you want to get your head out of the water to breathe. I'll get you then," he instructed. She did it until she could stay down for half a minute. She was gaining confidence. "Now, jump into the pool and I will catch you after you go under the water. Get air as you jump and hold it. I'll be right here." She liked it and did it again and again.

"This is FUN!" she laughed, and the rest joined with her merriment.

"Try to pick these up from the bottom of the pool and come back up," he told her, picking up the rocks and dropping them into the water onto the steps.

She stepped to the bottom step, looked at the closest rock, held her breath and ducked down. She fumbled around for it, found it and jumped up with it in her hand like it was gold. "I got it! I got it!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"I forgot to tell you something," he said, "In pools you can open your eyes and see things. They aren't quite as clear, but you'll find the rocks faster if you can see them. Salt water burns human's, eyes, but it doesn't matter to vampires. You're special, so I don't know what your eyes will feel like in the ocean." He turned to the women and stared at Bella. They were all sparkling from heads to toes and enjoying the sun. Bella's beauty took his breath away. He had to turn his face to someone else or he would become too distracted. "Alice, did you buy some goggles for Nessie, or should we stop and get some on our way to the beach?"

"Oh, come on now, Edward. What kind of an aunt would I be to forget something like that. Of course she has some goggles. Do you want them now?"

"No, thank you, I just thought I'd ask while we were talking about them," He turned back to Renesmee. "Okay, try to pick up the next one with your eyes open." He went down with her.

She opened those big brown eyes right away, went right over to the rocks and picked them both up. She burst to the surface with both hands raised high with their trophies. She laughed, "That worked a lot better!"

Jasper and Carlisle joined them. Edward looked at Carlisle for a moment, his eyes widening. Then he swallowed. The news from the pack wasn't good, but there was nothing that they could do to help, so he continued the lessons. They had changed into their suits and walked down to the pool. They admired their wives for a moment, and then got into the water with Edward and Nessie. "Perfect timing," said Edward, "will you two please show Nessie to float?"

"Face up or down?" joked Jasper. Merriment radiated from him.

"Up," Edward replied dryly.

They lay back in the water and floated, glistening in the sun. Edward continued, "If you arch your back a little and keep your lungs full of air, you can float on the water, too. Try it." At first he held up her head and back until she got the hang of it. She closed her eyes to concentrate. When she felt more confident she squinted them open a bit. She gasped when she realized that Edward wasn't holding up her head, and would have gone down if he hadn't been there. "See, you did it! Now try again. This time cup your hands a tiny bit, like this," he demonstrated to her. "When you are floating keep your arms fairly straight, not hard and strong, but keep them relaxed and straight." She did it. "That's right. Move your hands around like the shape of little eights. That will keep you up better, and will help you to coast around a bit. If you want to turn a little, only do it with one hand." She practiced for a few minutes.

Edward suddenly picked her up and stepped out of the way as three cannonballs splashed into the water. He had been concentrating on the lessons so much that he almost missed Alice's plan. The women had joined in the fun. They splashed around a bit, and then swam around for half an hour until the sun was getting low in the sky.

"Okay, you have finished your first lesson on how to swim. Let's get dry and go to the beach!"

"All right! Do I have to put on another whole swimsuit?" she asked him, wrinkling up her nose.

"I'm afraid your mom will have to give you that answer," he said, passing the buck and Renesmee to Bella.

"I guess that it would be all right to wear what you have on as long as you wear one of your cover-ups over it, and bring a beach towel to dry yourself off with," she concluded casually.

"What? No way are you going to wear a wet suit in the car when we have four dry ones in the house! Let's hurry and see who can change outfits the first. Ready, set, go!" challenged Alice, and the females ran up to get changed for the beach. The men looked at each other, shrugged, toweled off and walked up to the car.

"I don't see why we need to change our suits. They are already wet now. On the other hand, I guess I'd better do it for Alice. It's not worth the grief I'll get if I don't," grumbled Jasper.

"That's the way to think of it, son. Do it for the ladies," smiled Carlisle.

"When Mama's happy, everyone's happy," added Edward.

"Yep, I'm changing into dry clothes," concluded Jasper, and they ran into the house.

They drove around the top of the island, and around to Hau'ula Beach, and got out to look around. Edward, Bella and Renesmee got out to play in the sand and the surf. It was pretty much dark outside, but that didn't make any difference to them. Nessie took her parent's hands and waded out into the surf as it slid onto the last few feet of the shore. She played in the waves as they got ready to return into the sea. She almost lost her balance as the waves tried to pull her with them, but Edward and Bella laughed and held her hands. She got used to the push and pull of the current and they took her a bit further out so that she could jump the waves, with the help of her parents. "Can we build a castle now?" she asked her daddy.

"Sure thing!" They got out all of the sand toys and it didn't take much time for the three of them to build a big castle with a moat, towers, windows and doors.

Nessie looked around and asked, "Where is everybody?"

Edward looked at Bella meaningfully, and then faced his daughter. "Well, dear, Grandpa, Grandma, Alice and Jasper went for a swim out into the deep water. They want to see what the beach looks like from the water. They will be back here in a few minutes," assured Edward. "Let's write your name on the beach."

"Okay!" Let's write it really big." They got their sharpest tool and wrote her name really big in the sand.

"You know something magic about the water?" Bella asked.

"The water is magic?" Nessie looked up.

"Yes, it is like a magic slate. You write anything you want and the water will come and take the words away," she continued. As she spoke a wave came up on shore enough to wash the words away, and then receded.

"Wow! You were right, Mommy," she said incredulously. They wrote more words and names so that the waves could wash them away. Something caught her eye in the water. "There they are! I can see their heads bobbing out of the water." The absent four came up onto the beach.

"Did you see anything familiar?" Bella asked.

"Nothing out of place," commented Esme.

"There was a reef out there, it could be a good hiding place," added Carlisle.

"Well, let's play then!" said Jasper. They built more things in the sand and jumped in the warm water, but finally Renesmee began to tire. They packed everything into the car and went home. By the time they got to the house she was definitely asleep. Bella carried her into her bedroom. She only woke up enough to get into her pajamas and passed out again the moment her head hit the pillow.

Bella went to find Edward. He was on the front porch, looking up to the stars. "They look a little different here than they did on Isle Esme, but they still are beautiful," he whispered to her.

Bella sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. A little smile began to curl up the corners of her mouth. She lay there very still except for her hand, which slyly slid up his chest and neck, stopping near his ear. "It's all right," Bella teased.

He closed his eyes and reveled at the feel of her touch. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her memories. She lifted her shield to allow him to see her thoughts. She was getting better at it, the more she practiced. She remembered Isle Esme with him. She remembered the warm air, the calm water, her nervousness, and the sight of him waiting in the water for her. She remembered putting her towel with his clothes and stepping into the warm water, Edward's words _"But I wouldn't use the word with you standing here in comparison."_ Then the midnight swim through the waters together, then the first, tender, kiss. It was not the only one. It was a great memory, and they relived her vision of that first night. It was all that he could handle. He stood up quickly and picked her right up, like he had done on that beach, and took her to bed.

. . .

**A/N **** Do you have any ideas where this ellusive vampire might be hiding? Review and give me some hints!**


	7. You'd Better Sit Down for This Sis

**You'd Better Sit Down for This Sis**  
Monday, the 21st (Feat. the Blacks)

Monday was spent in and out of the water. Mala and Rachel had the Kalua Pig roasting before they left. The ocean waves truly were spectacular. Every time Paul saw Rachel in a swimsuit, he would give her a wolf whistle and a kiss or two. Clouds were gathering and it looked like rain. At each place they went they scanned the air and the area for the vampire stink, but there was no trace of it. If it had been there the evidence of it was gone long ago. They even visited the two parks where the people had been taken, finding no odd smells. They were getting a bit anxious because the time was passing them by. The rain did not. They let it fall on their faces and enjoyed it. The rain was familiar, but it was warm here.

They went back to the shop in Haleiwa for Mala's surfboard, and they drove down to the beach that was calm enough for beginners. Jacob and Paul worked with Mala until they could stay up on a wave. Rachel worked with the girls, and Leah was quick, as usual. She paddled out fearlessly after instructions, and did pretty well. Billy even liked getting into the water when Mala and Jacob carried him out into the water. They were surprised that Billy liked it as well as he did. "I used to be a good swimmer," he told them. "I wasn't always in the chair."

Mala brought out a Frisbee and the boys were off. They were all strong and good at it. One time Paul threw it to Jacob, who missed it and it flew behind the girls. The three of them pretended to race each other to the sand, but swooped down from where it landed, grabbed the unsuspecting girls and tore off with them toward the waves. Before they had time to do more than scream the guys had them in the water. Thus began the splashing war. However, the guys had the advantage, and won. After a while they all just played in the waves, until dinnertime.

Finally, Billy whistled to them, and they came in. They had big smiles on their faces, the games having erased the worry from their faces for that hour. They quickly toweled off, packed it in, and drove to the next beach, and then the next beach…

They finally went back to the house. Rebecca went into the kitchen to prepare the new food, and to teach Leah and Rachel how to fix it. Billy sat down in the common room and turned on the TV. Mala dug out the pig in the pit, which had withstood the rain.

The luau was wonderful. The food was great. Everyone ate with gusto after a busy day. Evening was deepening. The guys cleaned up the mess, and the girls took care of the food clean-up.

"I'm going to go check the perimeter to see what I can see, wanna come?" Jacob challenged Paul when they were done.

Paul took the challenge, "I'm on it." They stripped down to their shorts and ran outside and out of sight from the kitchen. They ran to the bushes and tied their shorts to their leg before phasing. The wolves went back and around the area to make sure that everything was all right. Mala and Rebecca were too busy cleaning up to notice them.

"_Race you to that tree at the end of the fence!_" Paul thought, and was off.

Jacob joined the race, and ran full out. He beat Paul to the fencepost and began to laugh/bark. But the laugh stopped in his first breath. The forbidden scent that they had come to Hawaii for was on the fence. It matched the faded scent near Rebecca's house, but was fresh, only hours old. His hackles went straight up and he trembled. Paul saw and felt everything and was only a step behind him. They looked each other in the eye. There was amazement, anger and they were both on the alert. "_Can you smell it_?" Jacob asked.

"_Of course I can smell it_!" replied Paul.

The stench was unmistakable to their wolf noses. It burned them. They pulled back their lips and growled to the unknown menace. They followed it up the slope and into the forest. They scoured the surrounding yard and inside the fence. The scent followed the fence until it got closer to the house, then turned the other way and went on. It was headed toward the beaches. The scent stopped suddenly at a stream, and the wolves couldn't tell where or if it got out. They sped to the house, phased back, got dressed and rushed into the house. They hurried into the bedroom, closed the door and called Carlisle immediately. He described where they had found the scent, and where they had lost the scent. He spoke low, to not alert the family, but it didn't work. There was no fooling Leah. She had wolf ears.

She rushed into the bedroom, almost taking it off of the hinges. "What did you find?" she demanded.

Paul whispered to her, "Be calm, don't get Rebecca upset," but Leah wasn't the only one who was alarmed by their behavior upon returning. It didn't take long for Rachel and Billy to crowd the hall around the door.

"We were running the fence line and found the scent by the Northwest corner fencepost. It was unmistakable. It wasn't exactly the same odor as the Cullens but it was wilder. It wasn't very old, only a couple of hours. I wish we had been here so we could take care of it once and for all," Paul explained, reaching out to take Rachel's hand, and then pulling her to him, protectively.

"Where is Rebecca?" Jacob asked. "We have to keep her inside until we check this trail out."

"She was going outside to help Mala and get everything cleaned up," answered Rachel. They were going to fill in the…"

"Rachel, Jacob!" came Mala's urgent voice from outside.

"Coming! What's wrong?" shouted Jacob.

"What do you need?" called Rachel as the stampede began. If it hadn't seemed so urgent, it would have looked funny, like slapstick. Billy was in his wheelchair in the hall, and Jacob, Leah and Paul got to the door all at once, knocking Rachel onto Billy's lap. They were all arms and legs trying to get out.

"Come and help me with Rebecca! She's sick or something!" came another call.

Leah burst through first, then Jacob, then Paul, who stopped to pick up Rachel. They all left Billy to fend for himself to navigate outside. They managed to make it outside without a repeat performance. "Where are you?" called Jacob.

"I'm over here by the fence." They followed his voice over to the fence, not far from where the scent stopped. Mala was holding on to Rebecca, who was shaking all over, and her skin was flushed. "She came over here to pick some of these flowers, but she suddenly cried out to me and started shaking. I ran over to her and grabbed her to keep her from falling. I'll bet her temperature has shot up just while I held her. She is so hot! And just look at her face!"

Leah and Paul ran over to them and grabbed Rebecca away from Mala. They tried to calm her down, but she wasn't hearing them. Jacob restrained Mala from going back to her. "Let me go! I have to help my wife!"

"No, we can't let you! We have seen this before, and you do not want to be too near to her. Calm down, Mala, we're trying to help her. Calm, be calm."

"You expect me to just let Rebecca be sick and not help her?" yelled Mala.

"Yes, I do. Now you calm down so that _she_ can calm down," commanded Jacob, but not roughly. "We have to calm her down."

But it was too late. When Leah felt the shivering go down Rebecca's back, getting worse, she called out to Paul, "Move away, I think she's going to blow!" Everyone scrambled, just in time. In that moment there was a loud ripping sound as she grew in size and anger. Her clothes shredded and in her place stood a wild beast. Her eyes were confused and afraid, full of pain. She had very dark brown, long shaggy hair and was huge. "Oh, no! Oh, no!" Leah cried. The new wolf looked around and then suddenly bolted.

"Well, the wolf is out of the bag now!" Paul yelled, and in a second she was gone.

A second flutter of shredded clothes fell to the ground and the second wolf ran after the first. The gray one was fast, though. She was catching up before the long-haired wolf jumped the fence and off they went.

Jacob looked sternly into Mala's stricken, frozen face and said, "Mala, stay here at the peril of your health and hers. Stay with him, Rachel. Don't go anywhere. We will bring her back. She will be fine." He turned and murmured to himself, "This might take some time. Good thing it's dark."

He and Paul ran after the other two, adding to the trail of torn cloth. Mala stood there with his eyes bulging and his mouth open. His eyes were full of terror and pain. He was incredulous. Rachel was hard pressed to get him to sit down so that he wouldn't collapse. They had their work cut out for them, but so did Jacob, Paul and Leah. How could she explain this to him? She tried to remember what they told her when it was her turn. She looked to Billy. "We must talk with you, Mala," he whispered.

"You think?" Mala replied.

. . .

**A/N **** - It has been fun writing. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	8. Now What'll We Do?

**Now What'll We Do?**  
Monday, the 21st (Feat. the Blacks)

The huge wolves caught up and surrounded the new one. The russet brown wolf stood face to face with the dark brown, shaggy one. The big grey one and the smaller grey one stood at her flanks. The shaggy wolf shook her head. She looked around. The brown eyes were terrified. Her legs looked like they were going to give way. The ears were straight up, and the tail was at alert. She growled in defense. A sneer pulled the lips away from her teeth. Then the voices began.

"_Hold on, Rebecca. It's me, Jacob_!"

"_Stay cool, Rebecca_," said Paul.

"_Rebecca, We tried to keep you from this,"_ Leah whined.

"_Hey, Paul, I can_ hear _you_. _**Why**__ can I hear you_?" questioned Jacob in his mind.

"_I can only hear you and Leah. Guess I am with you now_," replied Paul.

"_Guys, we can work this out later. We've got more pressing issues here_," admonished Leah.

Rachel's mind yelled, "_Why can_ **I** _hear you? What are you doing in my head? Why do I have fur and fangs? What happened to me? How do I change back to me? How do I ever stop being like this? HELP_!" she howled, too.

"_Quiet down, Rebecca. You are all right. I know it is confusing. I know it stings. Calm down, easy does it. You are fine. There is a vampire who has been coming through the North Shore, killing people. The scent has filtered through the air, and your Quileute blood has responded to it_," soothed Jacob without much success. "_We recognized your symptoms in the letter that you wrote to Rachel and got here as fast as we could to try to take care of the situation before you were advanced enough to phase. Tonight you must have caught the scent that we had just found at the fence. It completed the call to your blood to defend Mala from the predator. You have now phased into a Quileute werewolf_."

"_VAMPIRE? WEREWOLF?"_ she screamed/howled.

"_Rebecca, we protect our families, our people and our land. We protect them from many things, but the wolf thing is strictly to protect them from bloodsucking vampire leeches. Our ancestors were the first to change, and we continue to protect our people when this threat appears. We'll talk about it more later. Let's go for a spin around the neighborhood and you'll get the feel of it_," said Jacob, invitingly, trying to get on with it.

"_Yeah, it's cool_," added Paul. "_We can do lots of great stuff. We get to hunt blood drinkers! We rip 'em to shreds and then we burn'em up_! _We can run like the wind, without breaking a sweat. Our senses are a hundred times better than they were before, even when we are ourselves. We can see in the dark. We can hear anything within miles. We can smell out anything. We heal fast, real fast. We won't grow old as long as we phase. We think to each other when we're wolves. We are united. We're stronger than anything! _" added Paul_._

"_It wasn't so cool for me_," Leah smirked. "_The first thing I could think of was 'I'm a wolf! I'm a wolf! How did I become a wolf? There is fur all over my body! I can't speak! I growl and howl like a wolf.' It was terrifying! Bewildering! But suddenly there were voices in my head. The others who are already wolves started to talk to me. They welcomed me into the pack and tried to soothe me. They explained why I was the size of a horse, with nothing on but fur. My clothes were in shreds all over the floor. I was an old legend come true. I was a full member of a boys-only gang of Quileute protectors. Finally, after a few days, I did what they said to calm myself and was able to change back. Only, I will never be like I was before, because I'm a werewolf. I don't age. I don't change. I'm strong and I'm different. My body even stopped its monthly cycles." Jacob and Paul shifted where they stood. "In time, when there are no triggers to prompt me into changing to protect my people and land, they say that I will stop phasing into a wolf, and will resume my life_. _On the other hand, it actually is fun to run. I'm the fastest in both packs. And I am Jacob's second_," bragged Leah, the corners of her mouth pulling up into a little grin.

"_No one knew this was going on until Old Quil shook hands with Sam and could feel the heat of his skin. Sam had already phased. Nobody had been there to help him. It took Sam two weeks to calm down enough to phase back that first time," started Jacob._

"_TWO WEEKS!" yelled Rebecca._

"_Yes, but he was all alone. From that time it had to be kept quiet. No one knows except those who phase, their spouses and the elders of the tribe. Billy was there when I phased that first time. Rachel only knows because when Paul first saw her after he was part of the pack, he 'imprinted' on her," explained Jacob._

"_What does that mean?" she thought, becoming less violent, but more bewildered._

"_Well, when one of us sees the perfect mate for us, we imprint on her, or him _(looking quickly to Leah)_. It's like she is written, printed, into our soul. It means that she is his mate, the one that is meant for him. It is hard to describe, but she becomes the most wonderful, beautiful, important thing to him in the entire universe. Nothing else matters as much as being with her. The world revolves around her. There will never be anyone else for him but her. No one else comes close."_ Jacob continued.

"_Paul imprinted on Rachel?" _she continued to ask_._

Paul answered_, "Sure did. I am so lucky to have found her. You may be her twin and everything but you don't hold a candle to her for me." _

Suddenly in Rebecca's mind the whole scene played out directly from Paul's memory. He was visiting Jacob and she came into the room. Paul got dizzy. Everything spun around and focused on her. Everything in him pulled him to her. Nothing mattered to him but her. He would be her slave, do anything she wanted. He adored every look, every breath. He wanted to hear her speak, to give him a task to do so that he could prove himself worthy of her adoration. If she looked at a flower, he raced to pick it for her. If she was hungry he was crazy to provide her with food. When she wanted privacy it broke his heart, but he left, almost crying with loneliness. He had to be there first thing in the morning and wanted to tuck her in at night. Neither Jacob, Rachel nor Billy would allow that, though. She was puzzled and irritated at all the attention in the beginning, but he tried to tone down the drooling and staring. He was polite, even chivalrous to her. She wasn't sure that she trusted this change in him from what she remembered of him before she left for college, but he tried to charm her into loving him as he loved her.

In time she began to trust him, even letting him hold her hand. Just the nearness between the two of them gave him the shivers. She teased him, laughed with him, played games with him, and he was on Cloud 9. He didn't want to rush her. He only wanted to make her happy, while worshipping her with every fiber of his being. They had been together like this for over a year. He was not as brusque with her as he was with the rest of the world, and still was opinionated and strong, but not to her. He was still not sure how she felt about him. Sometimes he would catch her glancing over at him, smiling at him, but he wasn't sure if she was smiling or laughing at him. He was pretty sure that she liked him. She seemed to like to be with him. She would soothe him and try to calm him down when something irritated him, which was often. She would rub his muscles to try to get them to relax, and run her fingers through his short hair and around his eyes. This touching would cool him into his very heart, and he would try to be reasonable, which was hard for him, but he would do it for her. He must win her trust and (dare he say it?) love.

It seemed that they were coming along pretty well in this relationship when Rebecca's letter came, threatening to separate them for an unknown length of time. He froze in fear. He didn't know if he would survive. She was going to face the danger that he was made to destroy. He could not allow that to happen. He had to go with her. Then they invited him along and he was appeased.

When she told Rebecca that she loved him, everything in him exploded into pure joy. He had never felt such a wonderful, enthralling rapture. He had to grab her and smother her with kisses. "Smother" was the key word there. His ecstasy was so all encompassing that he nearly squeezed her to death. He needed to learn how to touch her in a way that would not endanger her life. Then the vision was done. The thoughts closed as he began to consider them getting married and having a family.

"_Has it happened to you, Jacob?" _Rebecca probed_._

"_Let's talk about that later_," said Jacob, guiltily. He tried to push away the memories, but it was no use. The mention of his imprinting on Renesmee brought back the memories of wanting to kill the beast that had killed Bella. He heard the baby stop sucking on a bottle and hatred mixed with fury rose like bile in his throat. He neared the being which was placed on a woman's shoulder. It would be easy. He could kill both of them. He felt like a volcano ready to explode.

And then he looked into the baby's eyes. Gravity shifted. No further thoughts of violence cluttered his mind. She was the personification of the universe. She was his reason for living. She was the most beautiful thing he ever had seen, or ever would see. She was everything. Rebecca saw the strange, stinky people that surrounded his love. She saw and felt his devotion to this baby, no, child. He saw her ownership of his every thought, every breath. She saw them as the child grew. She saw them hunting. This child ran like the wind, and could take down an elk, and then, to Rebecca's horror, would bite into its neck and drain it of life and blood. Jacob would hunt, too, as a wolf, right along side of her, bringing down other elk, and then feeding on them as a wolf feeds. Rebecca was disgusted by this, but the scent of the kill also drew her, as another wolf would be attracted. Then she withdrew from his memories of the child.

"_Who in the world was that_?" she demanded of him.

"_Her name is Renesmee_," he answered simply.

"_You WILL tell me more. No child can outrun an ELK, and take it down. No child would drink its blood. What kind of girl is this?"_

Leah interrupted them, "_Rebecca, Renesmee is an extremely rare being. You might meet her soon and all of this will be explained, I promise. Not all of us imprint in any case. We thought it was rare, the exceptional occurrence, but there has seldom been more than three men in a pack before. So far, there is only Sam, Quil, Paul, and Jacob who have imprinted on a girl. That is only a quarter of us."_

"_But that's how I felt when I first saw Mala. There was the dizziness, the pull, the devotion, the pain at separation_," she affirmed_._

"_We know. Billy told us. That was a surprise. It was one of the reasons we came so quickly. But there is more. Let us tell you more about us."_

Jacob explained_, "Okay, there are two packs. I am the Alpha of this pack, and Leah is my second. Quill, Embry and Seth are the rest of those in my pack. The last three are at home, doing their job in our absence, and answering Sam's commands. Paul is in Sam's pack and is his second."_

"_There are two packs? I lived all of my life with these people and am only now finding out about all of this?"_ she asked.

"_In the first place,_ y_ou would_ never _have heard about it at all without the vampire triggering you to change. In the second place this has all happened within the last couple of years. You weren't there,_" Jacob admitted.

Rebecca shook her head, as if she was on overload. "_Where is Mala_?" she whined. "_I need Mala_."

"_Billy and_ _Rachel took him up to the house, I presume. It isn't safe to be near humans until you are better in control of yourself. It is too easy to hurt them until you get the hang of it all, and should never, _never_ stay near them if you get angry_." He thought a picture of Emily and Sam to her. She saw him hurt her in a moment of anger, changing into his wolf form, ripping her open from her cheek to her hand. She saw the blood. She saw his adored Emily crumple to the floor, blood everywhere. She felt his agony and guilt. She saw that he couldn't phase back yet with such overpowering emotion, that someone else had to call 911 and give her the help that saved her life. He should not have hurt her. He should have been the one to administer first aid to her until the paramedics came to take her away. He saw the ambulance drive away from the forest, where he was forced to hide. She felt his revulsion at what he had done. He knew that he would never be able to regain her trust and love. He felt like dying, but he couldn't do that, either. And then she didn't die. She was able to beat the odds and recover. Sam finally phased back to be human. He went to her bed to nurse and care for her since he had inflicted the scars upon her beautiful face. He still could not look at her without guilt

She saw the whole scene. It scared her. "_How long does it take? How can I live without him? Will he still love me?_"

"_Of course he will still love you! Have a little trust in him. He'll get used to it like Rachel is to Paul. He can help you keep calm if you start to feel shaky, too_," responded Leah. "_It gets easier and easier to learn what to do, and what not to do_."

"_How long does it last_?" Rebecca worried.

"_Well, the first thing to do is to get rid of the thing that made it happen, and that is a vampire. It's the only thing that will bring out your wild side and trigger the gene to mutate in the first place_," Paul said with anticipation. "_We'll have to hunt it down, tear it apart and burn all of the pieces._"

"_This just gets better and better_," she replied, glumly.

"_Let's take a spin. We'll start out walking_," Jacob coaxed. She took a tentative step, then another. "_Then we'll speed it up a bit and play it by ear. Leah wasn't kidding when she said she is fast, so we won't try to keep up with her, she'll have to keep pace with you. You'll be fine_,"

"_Will you please stop saying that? I may not ever be 'fine' again_," she cried out, howling, but she calmed down and took a few small steps.

"_You get used to it, believe me_," added Leah.

They went a hundred yards and Rebecca began to go faster. By the end of a mile she was going fast. "_I don't think I have ever gone so fast in my whole life_," she thought.

"_Just wait, we're only in second gear_," challenged Paul. "_Wanna take it up a notch?_"

"_All right, a little_," she thought, nervously.

"_Wait a minute, Paul; she's new to these muscles. She has to break 'em in and warm 'em up before she can hit the stretch_," Jacob warned.

"_Did you smell that? What is it_?" she asked. They were getting into the forest.

"_That was a rabbit. Smells good, doesn't it? Wolves love rabbits_," Jacob said, his mouth beginning to drool a bit.

"_Jacob, don't you dare_!" warned Leah. "_We are not going to hunt a stupid rabbit_!"

"_It will be good for her to learn hunting techniques_," He answered her.

"Not now! _I'm not eating raw rabbit_!" she insisted, "_and neither will she. She's only been with us for half an hour. Don't push it._"

"_Uh, Jacob, I'm not into rabbit tartar, either_," Paul spoke up. "_I'll keep with the people food, if I can, thank you very much._"

"_Pansies_," Jacob muttered, but he speeded it up a notch. They circled around and headed back home. "_Our senses of direction are better, too. Do you know where you are now_?"

"_Yes, but I don't live far from here so I should_," Rebecca answered. "_But let's get back to the house. I need to see Mala."_

"_Well, it isn't that easy. I think that we will just spend the night out here together and give you time to simmer down. It takes a bit of time the first time. We'll take care of you," _he said encouragingly_. "Billy and Rachel are taking care of Mala."_

"_I am feeling a bit better. How were your first transformations?"_

Paul shook his head. "_I thought the stories were fables, too, until it happened to me. I was just going around minding my own business, being my normal, charming self. Sam kept looking at me like I was turning purple or something. I was growing like crazy, and getting all muscular. It was cool. People looked at me, surprised at the changes. Then I started to feel sick. My temperature soared and I got cranky. Wherever I looked, Sam was there, watching. It was finally too much for me and I confronted him, demanding that he give me some space and to stop staring at me. The next thing I knew, I was furry and telepathic. It took me five days to come down. Sam stuck with me the whole time. It was a big help to have him there. That's why we came for you. We were trying to stop it, but didn't want you to be alone if it happened. Good thing we came._"

"_How did yours go? What were your symptoms_?" Rebecca demanded of Leah.

"_My first sign was to get a bit grumpy_."

"_A BIT grumpy?"_ interjected Jacob.

"_Shut up, fearless leader_," She told him, grinning. "_Then I had a growth spurt of a couple of inches. The guys grow a foot or more in only a couple of months. They get muscles where they didn't have them before. My muscles are a lot toner now than they used to be, but they don't bulge as much as Mr. Universe here. Little things that weren't a problem before began to really bug me then. My temperature began to rise. It went up and hovered at over 105 degrees. I was never cold, even in the snow. Then one day, it shot up to 108, and when I got angry, I exploded into a wolf. Sound familiar?"_

"_Yep, I have had those symptoms for the last couple of weeks. How was yours, Jake?"_

"_I had all of the symptoms, like she said, and then I went to a movie with Bella and a boy from her school," he began._

"_Oh, that must have been interesting!" Rebecca couldn't help herself from interrupting him._

"_It was memorable, all right. She was still missing Edward. The other guy got the stomach flu and when he went into the bathroom I tried to get her to see that I liked her a lot."_

"_Oh, really? I didn't hear about that," Rebecca mused._

The memory from the theater came into his mind and she saw it all. She saw him tremble and get mad at Mike. She saw him take Bella home, and then went home himself, all hot and shaky. She saw him get angry with Billy and phase in the middle of the living room, scaring both of them. She saw how Paul and Embry had to help get his giant body through the door and free. But it wasn't freedom. The voices came immediately. They phased, too, and took him out to the forest to meet Sam, the Alpha wolf. They retold and explained the old legends to him to help him understand what was happening. They helped him cool off and calm down. He was able to phase back the next day, a record.

"_All right then, but how do I stop being a wolf_?"

"_Well, there are a couple of steps_," Jacob instructed as they ran. "_First of all, we will need to get rid of the bloodsucker. Without the scent of the trigger, there will be no need to phase. When you are ready to phase to human, you need to center in upon yourself. You pull yourself inward to your heart. When you are calm and centered, it will happen. However, there is one little thing that you need to remember. We did not know that you were going to phase. We were trying to keep you from it, actually. None of us had time to change, privately, if you get my drift._"

"_Privately_?" she asked.

"_We all shredded our clothes when we phased," _Leah explained bluntly_. "If we were to phase back right now, all we would be wearing is our tattoos_."

"_Naked? We would be naked?"_

"_In our birthday suits," Paul grinned._

"_Oh, no. We shredded our clothes? I don't remember that part of the story. What are we supposed to do?" she cried._

"_Well, Paul and I will phase first when we get really close to the house. We'll duck in and get you gals towels or sheets or something for after you phase back. But we have some time before that happens. We'll stay with you until you can learn how to phase back. Then we will worry about clothes."_

"_Wait a minute, what did you say about tattoos? What tattoos?_" Rebecca quailed at the thought.

"_Yeah! We have a cool tattoo," _smirked Paul_._

"_Oh, joy. We get to have a tattoo. Leah, do you have one, too?" _she couldn't help but ask. Her eyes pleaded that the answer was negative. She wasn't a fan of tattoos. Mala had joked that when they had a son he would take him to the family and have his whole face done.

"_Well, yes, but you can't see it with all this hair,"_ Leah answered.

"_Great_." She moaned. She was beginning to calm herself down. "_I haven't noticed it. Where is it_?

"_It's on our right upper arm. You can't miss it_," Leah said without enthusiasm.

"_Do I have to get one? Can't I wear it in jewelry or something_?" Rebecca begged.

"_If I had to get it, so do you,"_ Leah answered, sympathetically but firmly.

"_Hey, I'm proud of mine. It's cool!" It's the symbol that I am one of the protectors of my people_," said Paul proudly.

They came back near the house again, but curled up near each other in the trees just outside the fence that they had jumped before. They let her ask other questions which they answered as well as they could until she got tired, and three of them slept. Jacob took guard duty for the first few hours, then Leah and finally Paul. While Leah was watching out for Rebecca Jacob approached her.

"Leah, I can't stand it. I've got to go see Renesmee. I'm sure that someone is at their house with her so that she can sleep. I just need to be near her. I'll watch her sleep for a little while, and then come back here. You and Paul can handle everything here?" he asked.

"No problem. Nothing will happen here. She won't even know that you are gone," she affirmed, "Go." And he was gone. He ran to the other house and circled it a couple of times. There was nobody there. They must have all gone somewhere in the car because that, too, was gone. He phased while he waited. Not much later the car drove up and the Cullens got out. Edward knew that he was waiting and greeted him as they went up the porch.

Jacob walked behind Bella as she carried Nessie to the bedroom. He waited as Bella changed her into pj's and then crept in quietly. He tucked Nessie in and sat on the floor for a short time, playing with her hair. "Thanks, Bells, I couldn't stand it any longer. How long can I stay?"

"As long as you like, but you need your rest, too," She replied.

"Yeah, Yeah, I know," Jacob whispered, "But first I need to tell you what happened today." He kissed Nessie on the forehead before he left the room with Bella. They went to the front room where the other Cullens had all gathered. He explained what had gone on since they had parted.

"How long do you think it will take her to phase back?" asked Carlisle. "Do you want me to come and take a look at her?"

"Not yet," said Jacob. "We are just beginning to fill her in on all of the details. We haven't told her about you guys, yet. She's likely to bite your heads off, literally!"

"The poor girl, it must be such a shock. Make sure to tell us what to do to help. She will have to know about us. Renesmee must be part of what you tell her," guessed Esme.

"Yes, she's already seen her in my thoughts," explained Jacob. "I told her how wonderful she is to me, and what it feels like to imprint, but I only told her how unique she is, not exactly how she is unique. I'll tell her soon so that we can all work together."

"Not too soon. She has a lot on her plate right now. She must feel totally overloaded and anxious, perhaps angry. I might be able to help her there, but we don't want go there and make things worse for her," added Jasper.

"Definitely. Thank you, all. That's all I can do for now. I need some time to be with Nessie, even if she's asleep," he pleaded.

"Try not to wake her," Bella said, gently.

"I won't wake her up," he promised.

He crept into her bedroom and stood at the foot of her bed, gazing at her for a moment. He then moved around to the side of the bed and sat down on the floor. He laid his huge hand on top of her little one. She had grown a little bit just in the short time they had been apart. After a while, he took her hand and placed it on his cheek. Colors and images flew around in his mind. There were rows and rows of clothes racks with bright Hawaiian printed fabrics. There were swimming lessons with her daddy and little waves at the beach. There were turtles and flowers, too. Then the memory dreams faded and she rested. He kissed her tiny little hand as he lifted it off of his face. It almost made him cry, knowing that he had to leave her. He was missing her already, and hoping it wouldn't be too long before he could see her again. He stood up and kissed her on her forehead. Then he turned and left. He said goodbye to Bella, who was headed to the front porch toward Edward. She gave him a quick kiss goodbye on the cheek and followed him through the door. He waved to Edward and took off toward the woods so that he could phase and go back to his pack to sleep in the grass with Paul, Leah, and his sister, the wolf.

. . .

**A/N **** At least Edward can't complain about Jake spying on Renesmee's sleeping, right? How about all of that transforming? How long do you think it will take Rebecca to turn back? Review and give me your guess!**


	9. Visions

**Visions**  
Tuesday the 22nd (Feat. the Cullens)

Renesmee was tired of scrambled eggs. She tried eating some fruit that they picked on the trees outside. She bit into the orange and sucked out the juices first. She liked it better that way, but it still wasn't blood. Everyone else was anxious to get to work.

Jasper and Alice were headed to the deep forests in the Eastern reserves this morning. They were just outside the door when Alice gasped, closed her eyes, and held her head. Bella called to Edward, but he, too, was frozen. In Alice's mind there was blue everywhere, and then someone was walking up the beach. He felt hungry. He was looking for dinner, but he was looking for someone specific or some type of person specifically. He was looking for a man, a young man, but one who was older than an adolescent. There was a hunger for finding a good specimen, someone that would meet the needs of the hunter. He wanted someone who would fit into "the game". The desires that needed to be satisfied were not only food. The vision closed.

Edward and Alice both opened their eyes. Edward looked over to Alice in shock and horror.

"_What was that?"_ he asked her.

"Looked like someone with a plan to me, and who was thirsty, too. And where did he come from, out of the blue?" she asked back.

"_Alice, it wasn't a 'he', it was a 'she'! We're looking for a succubus_!" Edward choked at the words. "_And she is on the make for dinner and dancing just to begin with…_"

"It looked like she came out of the ocean to me. She just walked right up from the bottom of the sea, and up onto the rocks onto the breakwater, onto the beach and toward the people. It was getting dark," whispered Alice. Everyone asked questions of her all at once.

"When, Alice, when?" Edward demanded out loud.

"Alice, what did you see?" begged Bella.

"Who, Alice?" cried Jasper.

"Did you say 'she'?" interrupted Carlisle.

"What's happening, daddy? Why are you all shouting?" asked Renesmee, tugging at his hand.

Edward stood there, frozen for the minute as she finished. Then Renesmee tugged at his hand again and asked, anxiously, "Daddy, what is wrong?"

He shook himself loose and looked down at her. He looked at the others and put on a smile for her. He took her hand and walked her to the door, pausing to look back to Alice. "I'll take Nessie outside to pick an orange for lunch. Alice, you tell the others what you saw."

Alice shook herself and then complied when they were out of earshot. She told them all about it.

"Could you see him?" asked Jasper.

"No, I was looking through her eyes." Alice said.

"HER eyes?" blurted Bella.

"Yes, it's a female and blood isn't the only thing on her mind. She wants a virile man. She wants him blond, broad through the shoulders and strong so that he will play her 'game' before she drains him. The last person was taken on the 18th, and it seems like the next one will happen again in about a week, which would be on or about the 25th," Alice replied.

"I'd say that we don't have much time, if today is already the 22nd. That only gives us a few days. We haven't much to go on." Carlisle contemplated aloud.

Esme whispered sadly. "We must stop her."

"We have to reason with her. She must leave and not come back. We will tell her about the pack who will kill her if she doesn't," Carlisle added.

Esme nodded in agreement. "Tell us anything you can remember about the beginning of your vision, the blue part. Do you think that it is the ocean?"

"Yes, it is. She swims in until the bottom is shallow, she stands up and walks up onto the beach," she added.

"Is there anything on the bottom we could look for?" queried Jasper.

"There is trash from being near people." She reran the vision in her head. "There is coral, seaweed, dolphins swimming away swiftly, and normal things like that."

"Is there something we could look for at the beach?" Jasper continued the interrogation. He was used to questioning her after she "saw" one of her visions.

"There were people. There were a lot of surfboards. The waves were big. M-m-m-m, she turned her head a little bit to see some surfers. She didn't want to get hit by one. She was trying to be inconspicuous, too," she said thoughtfully. "Where is the best surfing?"

"Pipeline?" asked Esme. "I saw a program on TV about the 'Bonsai pipeline' once. I think that there have been lots of surfing competitions held there."

"Okay. You know, there are a lot of young, virile men on their boards riding the waves. I'll bet she'll have her pick. This is the perfect hunting grounds for her," added Carlisle, thoughtfully. He turned to his wife, "Let's get going. Have a good time, ladies!" He kissed her and then hugged Alice, Bella and Renesmee. Edward got out his phone and called Jacob.

. . .

**A/N Hope you enjoyed the vision. Review and let me know!**


	10. Beach Fun

**Beach Fun**  
Tuesday the 22nd (Feat. the Cullens)

Esme was the driver and Alice rode shotgun. She was looking at the landmarks, trying to find the one that matched her vision. They slowed down to sniff the air for the scent of a vampire, too. Bella sat in the back seat with Renesmee, keeping her content. She pointed out how pretty the ocean waves were when they came crashing into the rocks, making the water spray into the air. They watched all of the different people walking or playing on the beaches.

They started with Waialua and Hale'iwa. They drove past Waimea because they were going to return there later to meet the guys.

They went to the Pipeline next. The Banzai Pipeline was amazing. The shape of the waves formed into pipes in the distance as they crashed upon the coral reef. The deep blue water was beautiful, but Alice shook her head almost as soon as they got onto the beach. "No way," she said.

They got out and looked around at Sunset Beach, where one of the victims had disappeared. They got there just as the sun reached the horizon and the view was spectacular. The clouds were illuminated from behind as the sun went down. As the surf hit the gold tinged sand, it was breathtaking, but the only vampire scent present was their own. The water was so clear, and the beach was wide. They could see that a vampire could walk out of those big waves and up onto the sand. Even after the disappearance, there were still lots of people who had come to the beach to watch the world famous sunsets. Alice closed her eyes to compare what was before her to the vision she had seen. She shook her head. "No breakwater here. Next beach, please," she said.

Turtle Bay is where they ended the afternoon. They bought some souvenirs and looked at the turtle area. Finally they drove back to the Waimea Beach Park. They parked the car and looked around for Carlisle, Edward and Jasper. Alice was the first to see the men and ran to Jasper immediately.

"There you are! Where have you been? What did you find?" she interrogated them when they were up on the beach.

"Well, well, so many questions," laughed Jasper.

"We were searching under the ocean," began Carlisle.

"We saw a lot of fish and rocks, but no one else was down there," said Edward. "It was very pretty, but we didn't find any clues." They dried themselves off and packed up their things.

As they were packing up a young man in a maintenance uniform came near, picking up some litter and emptying a trashcan not far from them.

"How do you guys come up from the bottom of the ocean like that?" the man asked.

They held their breath. "What do you mean?" choked out Carlisle. The rest were frozen. "Did you see someone else walk out of the ocean like we did?"

"Well, I think so," he said. "Last week I was down the beach a little, you know, cleaning up after the people were mostly gone. Anyway, this woman came walking right up out of the water after dark, like you did. Was she a member of your family? She looked a lot like you, but she had very, very blonde hair. She was really a looker! I wasn't close enough to her to see much more, but between her hair, the skimpy bikini and that killer body, she is hard to forget. Wow."

"Did you see where she went?" Jasper queried as he sent out a wave of peace and confidence to him.

"Not exactly," he answered. She walked up out of the surf and stopped to look around, like she was looking for someone. Then she turned around and walked back into the waves."

"Was that here?" Esme asked, soothingly.

"No, it was down at Hale'iwa," he replied.

"And you haven't seen her since?" said Edward.

"No, I would remember her, for sure!" he smiled.

"Be glad you didn't get closer. She is dangerous," Carlisle warned. "Thank you, we have been looking for her. You have helped us a lot."

They did their best to keep the sand out of the car as they rushed to get in. Nessie fell asleep right away. They drove to the last beach on their list for the night, Hale'iwa Beach. There is a large white tower there, a seawall, and beach playgrounds. Alice became tense when she stood on the beach and looked around. "I think that this is the one. It looks familiar." She closed her eyes and so did Edward.

"_Look over there to the left, it's the seawall. She walked next to it to be inconspicuous. That's how she'll come up to the beach. There are big dark rocks there, too, like I saw."_ Alice thought to Edward.

"I think you are right. The beach is smooth enough to just walk right up onto it," he agreed. "If it is just after dusk her skin won't be as noticeable."

"See that white building over there? I think I saw that over in the corner when she first came up and looked around. This has got to be the right place. Look, there is a sign advertising a surfing contest over the weekend. Friday will be the 25th, the target date for my vision," stated Alice. "Can you come with us, Edward? Let's see what the terrain looks like under the water. You can be one more set of eyes down there, we can get done faster."

"I'll stay here with Nessie," said Bella, "We'll be fine."

Alice cocked her head, closed her eyes and announced, "Yes, they will be fine. Nothing will even approach them."

"All right," they chorused.

The rest of them went into the water like seals. As soon as they were alone it was too quiet for Nessie. She woke up and asked, "Mama, where is Jacob? I had a dream about him and it made me miss him so much! Why isn't he here with me? I want to see him and tell him about the beach here. It is so different from our beaches. Does his sister need him all the time?"

"Yes, right now she needs him very much," Bella told her, tenderly. "She has become a member of the pack, like Leah. He is trying to help her deal with it. Paul and Leah are, too. Rachel and Billy are helping Mala to understand what has happened to her."

"Oh, really? We needed another girl in the pack. Now Leah won't be so alone," she said, brightly. She didn't see anything so bad about the whole wolf thing. It was just a fact of life to her.

"Well, yes, when there is no more threat, Rebecca will stop phasing. She will still stay here with Mala, so she won't live near us," added Bella.

"Oh. That's too bad. When do we get to meet her?"

"Soon, I hope, dear. Maybe we will go to their house tomorrow or the next day," she answered.

Renesmee pouted, "All right then, but it isn't the same without him."

The Cullens had fanned out into the water. There was some trash on the bottom, and rocks, just like in her visions. They looked around for any traces of her presence, but the movement of the surf would erase any clues. After a half an hour they surfaced, swam to the shore and came up onto the beach. They toweled off.

"Nothing!" spat Alice. "This is the right spot, I'm sure of it, but she could travel from anywhere, swim up to the beach, snag any willing man and have a meal." She could walk all over the place after dark without much notice." They got into the car and drove to the house. The conversation continued.

"She could conceal herself during the day, like we do, look all around for the most likely hunting grounds and just swim away when she's done. There would be little trace of her anywhere else," concluded Jasper.

"We need to talk with Jacob," said Bella.

"Yes, he needs to know," said Alice.

"I wonder how Rebecca is," worried Esme.

"I'm sure they are doing the best that they can for her. We'll have to wait for him to call us, though," said Edward. Bella kept Renesmee awake so that she could give her a shower before she went to bed.

"I love Hawaii," Renesmee said. ""I wish Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett could have come, though. Can we come back all together some day?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, we have talked about it, so maybe we will," answered Bella. She kissed her daughter good night as Edward entered and did the same.

. . .

**A/N A female vampire? Did you see that coming? Leave me a review and let me know.**


	11. Being a Wolf

**Being a Wolf**  
Tuesday, March 22, (Feat. the Blacks)

Just as the sun began peeking over the mountains Rebecca awakened. "_Good morning, sleepyhead! Did you sleep well_?" asked Jacob.

"_Not as badly as it should have been, given the circumstances_," she answered.

"_You slept like a log_," Paul noted.

"_How do you feel_?" asked Leah, sympathetically.

"_Actually, I feel better than I have in a couple of weeks. I guess my dreams have been bad because of this change that was beginning. Is that how it was with you?_" she asked them all.

"_I did_," said Leah.

"_I didn't_," said Jacob and Paul, "Maybe it's a female thing. Two sets of menacing growls stopped that line of thought.

"_I am hungry. What do I do now?_" she turned toward Jacob.

"_Well, there are probably mice or chickens nearby_…" he grinned.

"_No way, I'll starve!"_ she exclaimed.

"_Well then, we'd better work on getting you back to yourself_," said Leah.

"_Oh, dear! Didn't you say that we'll be naked when we turn human again?_" Rebecca said.

"_Yep, unless you managed to grow clothes outside of your skin,_" Paul agreed.

"_We weren't embarrassed to go naked when we were little, but now.._." Jacob winced. "_We'll go in first while you girls bring up the rear. Oh, sorry, maybe that was the wrong way to put it._"

"_You got that straight! That was a good one, though_," laugh/barked Paul. They ran toward the house near where she had phased in the first place. When they got near it, Jacob had a thought, and led them in, slowing to a trot.

"_Oh, my! What's that horrible smell_?" asked Rebecca, wrinkling her nose. "_That is awful! I don't remember a smell like that here before_."

"_You didn't smell it before you were a wolf. It's the smell that set all of this off. It's the stench of a leech, a bloodsucker, a vampire. Remember it forever. It usually means danger to us all, understand?_" Jacob answered. "All right, l_et's get this part over with. Rebecca, I want you to really, really relax. Slow down. Let's take it really quietly_."

"_Will you look at that!_ _Your sister is a genius, Mr. Alpha. It looks like she put an outfit and a beach towel out here for each one of us. You guys go in first and we ladies will turn our backs while you phase. You go in to check on Mala. Then I'll to show her how to phase back, if I can. It's hard to tell someone else. I'll see what I can do to help her."_ The guys obliged and went into the house as soon as they were dressed.

Leah phased in front of her as a demonstration, grabbed some clothes, and threw them on. Then she returned to her side to croon to Rebecca, patting her fur, stoking it softly. "Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. That's it, close your eyes. Think good thoughts. Imagine yourself relaxing on a beach or something. Concentrate on your human life. Remember your favorite things. Think of your life with Mala," She continued over and over with this line of soothing thoughts. She verbally painted mental pictures of First Beach, of La Push, of friends there, of the forests, the mountains, the streams and rivers. She told her memories of them in school, at play, always choosing gentle, pleasant memories for her. After a while she felt that they might be close to the peace that Rebecca needed. "Listen to your heart beat. Slow it down a bit. Concentrate on relaxing your toes, then your calves and knees, then up to your hips. Relax your stomach, your back and your neck. Loosen your face, your eyebrows. Okay, pull your limbs in toward your heart. Pull yourself _into_ your heart. Feel your very cells shrinking. Hold that thought." She watched as Rebecca shimmered and began to take human form. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. As Rebecca reformed into her normal, human self, she continued, "That's right. Pull it all in. Relax. All is well. Sh-h-h-h." She hummed a lullaby. Rebecca collapsed into her arms. She steadied herself and Rebecca. They stood like that for a few minutes until Rebecca was standing on her own two feet. They got her dressed.

Jacob came around the house cautiously. Paul was right behind him. They approached quietly, step by step. Leah combed Rebecca's hair with her fingers.

"I need Mala, I need my Noonday Sun," she whimpered.

"I don't think that that is a good idea," said Jacob, thinking of Emily at home.

"I can't do this without him," she whimpered.

"I think that she is calm. Maybe we could allow them to be together so that he can learn to keep her cool, and we will stay nearby to watch for any signs of phasing," whispered Leah.

"Are you sure, Leah?" whispered Jacob, cautiously.

"Pretty sure," she replied.

"I'm sure," Rebecca insisted. That's right. She has wolf ears now, too.

"All right, I'll go get him, if you are absolutely sure of your self control," Jacob relented. He ran into the house and returned with Mala a moment later.

"I'm right here, my dearest one, my shining star," he whispered. She turned around and collapsed into his arms. She wept sad tears. He let her cry, patting her on her head and rubbing her back. Her tears brought tears to his eyes, too. Jacob and Leah stood by, watchfully, just in case.

"Do you really still love me? Do you still want to be mine?" she asked him, her eyes downcast. She looked tentatively but directly into his eyes for the first time since she phased and the dizziness and longing she had thought was so strong for him before was a tiny, far star in comparison with the Noontime Sun that blazed into her very cells and warmed them within her. She wanted to melt into his very heart. She never had any idea of love before. It was nothing compared to what she felt now. Her mind was reeling. Her breathing stopped. She was frozen as she looked into his eyes and down into his soul.

Mala whispered in her ear, "Whoa, what was that? I felt that, a pull! Did you feel it?"

She nodded to him, without breaking eye contact.

"I'll love you forever, you know, no matter what happens. I thought I had lost you when you changed and ran away. It tore my heart out. Then Rachel and Billy took me into the house and gave me werewolf lessons. I can't bear to think that we would not be one just because of some silly little wolf thing." Everyone smiled. Her arms flew around his neck then, and she kissed him passionately. She had to let go of him to gasp for breath. Nothing in the world mattered as much as he did. Nothing ever would.

"I need to sit down or my legs will fail me," Rebecca said. Mala swung her up into his arms and carried her. Paul followed them. The little group moved slowly around, practically stepping on each other's feet, to the front of the house and up the stairs. She never lost contact with those most beautiful eyes. "Wow, I feel different. I feel like I never have really seen you before. It is like I will always be captured in your gravity, ever circling, ever there with you," she whispered back to him.

Whispering doesn't conceal much with that many wolves around. Paul turned to Rachel and smiled lovingly to her. Jacob ached for his Nessie.

"Hm-m-m. It sounds like we had better up that to five of us in the pack who have been smitten," he said to no one in particular. Leah smiled, too.

Jacob brought Billy out to be with his daughter as they settled onto the porch. He looked older. He wheeled over to her and embraced them both as well as he could from the chair. "My Little One, I am so sorry that this has happened to you. We had no idea that you would ever have cause to be in this danger or condition. My darling girl, I'm so sorry."

"Oh, dad, you didn't know. You came when I needed you, you brought the cavalry, and you are here now. That's a lot, you know," she told him with teary eyes.

Paul taunted, "Rebecca, you know that you have been able to phase back earlier than anyone, so far, even Jacob."

"Fastest yet?" she asked brightening up a little and grinning.

"Yep. Beat me by hours. You hold the record," he beamed at her. "It seems like Ephraim's heirs are doubly good at these kinds of things," Jacob answered the taunt.

"Remember, I am from Ephraim Black, and your mother was from Quil Ateara, so you have it from both sides," added Billy.

"There is this one thing, however. We are a little nervous, to put you inside on a bed. We don't want you to phase again and ruin the pretty sheets," soothed Rachel.

"Or the pretty bedroom," added Leah.

"Or the pretty house," concluded Paul.

The corners of Rebecca's mouth turned up.

"Do you want Mala to stay with you? Do you feel nice and calm? Are you all right? I want him to be safe, as well, but you need to find peace with this," asked Rachel, hesitantly.

"I can't find peace without him. When he is gone I get all cold inside. I need my Noonday Sun to keep me warm, even with this fever," she answered.

"We will be fine," Mala whispered. "Rachel tried to explain her part of this life with Paul while you were gone. At first I was angry. They should have told us. She explained that most of the tribe didn't know. No one knew that wasn't directly involved. She told me how she helps him keep his cool. I can do that."

"I hope you are more successful than I am," laughed Rachel.

"All right, all right, but I'm staying with you, just in case," Jacob stated stubbornly.

"How can we help you?" asked Rachel.

"Well, I am going to starve to death. Can I eat?" she begged.

"Of course you can. Being a werewolf really burns the energy. You will have to eat more until you stop phasing, and then cut back to keep your girlish figure," added Leah. "What would you like?"

"Everything!" she laughed. Rachel and Leah fixed a big breakfast for everyone. Rebecca wasn't the only one who was hungry but she ate as much as Jacob and Paul did.

Jacob answered the phone while breakfast was being cleared. "Uh huh. No! Are you kidding? All right. Well that makes a difference. Okay, we'll keep that in mind." He closed the phone and pocketed it. He looked to the group immediately. They were all staring at him, waiting. "It's not that big of a deal. The vampire is a vamp. It's a female leech."

"Figures," sneered Paul, and Rachel slapped his arm. "Oh, sorry, sweetheart."

"Does that make any difference?" Rebecca asked, timidly.

"Not a bit, it just tells us to look for a gorgeous, blond bloodsucking woman, in a skimpy bikini, not a male," said Jacob.

No one would let Rebecca do anything all morning, so she snuggled up with Mala. He was next to her, not wanting to let her out of his sight. She stayed away from anything which might make her angry. Paul and Leah phased and ran all around the forest to the borders before lunch. Billy brought out a map when they got home and plotted out the location of the scent that they found on it. "It looks like it was passing through when it caught our scent, came in for a look-see, then high tailed it out of here and on toward the beaches and towns," Billy noted. "How will we find it?"

"At least we know the scent well enough, and it doesn't smell like…anything else," Jacob said, his mind elsewhere, at the Cullen's house.

Jacob was getting ready to go out for a run when Rebecca surprised him. "Can I go with you? I feel so helpless and want to do my share."

"Oh, r-really?" he stammered, "Here we are, trying to keep you from phasing, and you are volunteering? What brought this on?"

"Mala and I have been watching you guys plot and search for what is my problem. If I ever need these skills again, I won't know how to use them. I need to be taught. I saw how you guys phase in and out of being wolves in a heartbeat. I need to know how to phase quickly, into or out of the wolf, and at my will. I need to know how to use my newly found senses and abilities. Please allow me to be all I need to be," Rebecca pleaded.

"You okay with this?" Jacob asked Mala.

"You try to stop her! You can't stop Shooting Stars once they have their trajectories," Mala replied. Rebecca scowled at him.

"All right, wolf lessons in 10 minutes," Jacob commanded. Leah took her out to show her the secret of tying shorts & a top on her leg quickly. They found a place with lots of shrubs and trees to practice phasing.

"Are you ready?" Leah looked Rebecca straight in the eyes as she asked.

"Yes. I want to learn. It won't help if it takes me half of the day to phase if Mala is in trouble."

"That's the spirit. Oh, yes, when you tie your outfit around your ankle, tie it tight enough so that you won't trip over it, but loose enough so that it won't burst when you phase to wolf, or cut off your circulation when you don't have fingers to retie it." She demonstrated how to do it. "Hm-m-m, maybe we should keep an eye out for a leather pouch we could use. It might be more discreet than a Hawaiian print outfit all folded up on your leg"

She took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. She talked to Rebecca like a hypnotist, trying to get her to phase. "Now imagine we are down on that beach and you get the scent of her. Maybe she is tired of surfer boys and wants a real man. She emerges from the water and looks around. She wants Mala as soon as she sees him." Rebecca scowled. "She likes the tattoo and the muscles. She sets her eyes on him. Close your eyes and imagine it. She gets all sexy on him and begins to walk straight up to him with that look in her eyes. She swivels her hips while she walks closer to him." Rebecca's mouth formed into a deeper frown. "Her bikini is strings and Kleenex." Rebecca's brows knit together and her fists clench. "It is white and she just came out of the water." Rebecca's legs begin to tremble. "He is paralyzed like a bird looking in the eyes of a snake." Rebecca's arms trembled. "She walks right up to him so that her breasts are only an inch from his chest." Serious shaking. "Her poisonous lips come up to meet his as she wraps her arms around his frame."

POP!

The wolf shook her head and growled, exposing her teeth. Leah stepped back and phased, too. "_You got it! You protect what is yours. You see how it goes? Calm down, there. There is no vampire around now, that was just in your mind. Smell the air. Do you smell anything like a vampire?"_

The shaggy wolf shook her head again and squeezed her eyes shut. "_Okay, that's how mad you need to be. Things will come up day to day that will get you mad, but you must be able to put them away from you, or you will constantly be popping into a wolf. All right now. Let's meet the guys."_

They padded out to the meeting place at the far tree. Leah, Paul and Jacob demonstrated and "talked" her through things for an hour. Jacob announced_, "You are now an official member of the pack, duly trained and in service. I am the Alpha and will be obeyed_," he finished with a grin. _"Leah, keep an eye on the house and the grounds while we are gone. Paul can take the first shift tonight, so maybe he should take a nap_."

"_Oh great! I'm following my little brother's orders. That's peachy keen."_ He gave her a little yap. She yapped back at him, but her eyes sparkled, and he could feel that she was kidding. She fell into line with him, and they left. He took her to the fading scent, along its path, and to the place where it disappeared. He took her to some of the places they hadn't explored yet, but no further traces were found.

"_Let me give you a demonstration. Follow me. Trust me. This may not be easy for you, but I think that you need to see it._" He took her out into the forest and sniffed the air as he went. He stopped suddenly. She stopped immediately and caught the scent, too, but it wasn't the leech scent. She cocked her head at him curiously. "_This scent should make your mouth water. I need to show you how to tear things apart. This is a rabbit. Give yourself over to your instincts._" He waited for her to catch the smell. She was reluctant. She closed her eyes for a second and took a big whiff. Her eyes lit up and looked around quickly. She almost pointed. "_Yes, that's it. I'm going to go to the left, and you go to the right. We will try to take it down and rip it up. Don't let it hop into reverse and get away between us. When we get close enough you grab it with your mouth, and rip it open. Vamps zig-zag, like this rabbit will. There will be nothing else which I can use to teach this to you here and now. Leah and Paul both have won battles against them, so they already know. We work as a team, now. Follow your nose and let your senses take over._" They took a few steps away from each other, waiting for the rabbit to panic and run. When it did they tore off after it. It was fast, but so were they. It led a good race, but was not fast enough. Rebecca grabbed it and bit down on the neck until it went limp.

"_Tear it apart! It's not enough to just catch a vampire. It must be torn apart and then burned. Do it without thinking! Quickly!_" She jerked it down to the ground and put a huge paw on it, then ripped it into a few pieces. "_Yes, good job. That's all you need to do right now. You could eat it if you feel like it. It's a shame to waste it_."

She seemed to come to her senses and dropped it all onto the ground. She seemed to want to gag and spit. He showed her a stream so she could rinse out her mouth. She glared at him, "_Was that necessary? I can't believe what I just did. It was even worse because I _could_ do it when I let my senses go. I'm totally disgusted! I just killed a bunny! Jacob, I never want to do that again! And no, I do NOT want to eat it!"_

_Jacob smiled at her, "Rebecca, the first time we had a successful hunt it was a vampire, not a rabbit. Our instincts took over immediately, and we ran all over the forest until we caught up with him. The pack tore him limb from limb and Sam burned him. I just wanted you to experience a hunt where it was not a vampire. I wanted you to see that you could do it. You followed him as he jumped all over the place. You were perfect. My job was only to not let it get away from you. Boy, were you good. You are ready for this."_

So they went home. Leah was waiting there for her to help her phase back to herself.

_Leah crooned, "That was some race. You did very well. I'm proud of you. Do you want to talk about it?" _

_Rebecca shook her shaggy head. _

_Leah continued, "Okay, let's walk this off. Go back in your mind to that beach scene with Mala. The sun has just set. He is on the beach, looking at you. Think of it being __you__ walking toward Mala with that 'come hither' look in your eyes. Look at him from head to toe. Think of those muscles. Think of his embrace. You want to smile at him, but you know that all you can do is lick him. He's mesmerized by you, the love of his life. You want to be with him. But you are this wolf. You can't let him take you until you are both of the same species, humans. Think of being a woman with your man. Think of how it is to be with him making love to you. You want to be that woman, not this wolf. Remember other things that you, as a woman, do with your man. Think of being there to sooth him when he's frustrated. You cheer him up when he is down. You do that for each other. You work together to keep everything at home neat and tidy. You paint the walls together. Maybe some of the paint splatters on you and you have a good laugh. Think of lying on the beach, holding hands at the end of the day. He loves you. He protects you, well, except for this wolf thing. He thinks you are the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. I heard him say so. You want to be that wife to him. Pull yourself together. Start at the feet and hands and relax while you pull yourself in, that's it." _She began to shimmer back to herself. Leah phased back with her and asked as they got dressed, "You okay?"

"Sure, sure. I'll get used to it, I suppose. It takes a lot out of me to get so hot and bothered and then to cool it down. Let's walk around a bit. They walked in a big circle.

"You did very well for that only being your second time," Leah soothed her. "Did it hurt as much?"

"Not quite as much. Will it always sting?" she wondered.

"It won't ever go away altogether to phase to the wolf, but you get used to it. It doesn't bother me much any more. Let's get you back to the house. Can you manage it? If it's not we can wait here until you are totally in control. We don't want to hurt anyone."

"Give me a minute," Rebecca said, stretching all over and then closing her eyes for a moment. "Yes, I'm ready."

. . .

**A/N What do you think of Rebecca learning to phase so quickly? Drop me a line and let me know!**


	12. The Bonfire

**The Bonfire**  
Tuesday, March 23, (Feat. the Blacks)

Out from the porch came the voice of authority, "We will have a Quileute Bonfire tonight," instructed Billy, with a serious look on his face. "We need a place for a fire Jacob. Get the barbecue stuff from the garage. We can do it up here on the porch. We have just enough time before dark."

"Oh, really? Thank you dad!" cried Rebecca.

Jacob got the barbecue grill out, filled with charcoal and lit it. They sat around the sparkling fire and watched as it flew skyward. Rachel cuddled into Paul's shoulder and Rebecca sat up straight next to Mala, in anticipation of the stories she knew would come.

"Mala needs to learn about us," Billy began. His face grew sad. "He needs to know our heritage."

He sat tall and cleared his throat. His deep voice rang out with strength and authority. "The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning, and we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting – that came later. First, we were spirit warriors…" he began. The clear base voice rang through the air amid the crackling sparks. He told the story with the authority of the Elder of the tribe. He told the story of the Great Spirit Chief Kaheleha, or Utlapa, and Taha Aki. He told the legend of Yaha Utas's oldest son from this third wife and his battle with a "cold one". He described the fierce strength of this creature - the horrible, sweet smell and the speed of the creature the son had found, and torn into pieces. Billy drew from his shirt a small bag, black and old. It had the ash remains of a piece of the creature inside. He told how this last warrior changed into a wolf to battle the mate of the cold one. She was beautiful, a moon goddess with glittering white skin, black eyes, and a beautiful voice. She killed some of the tribe, drinking their blood. She was very strong, and could swim like a shark. The third wife sacrificed herself to stop this cold one, and the tribe was saved. They'd learned to fight this enemy, and became the tribal protectors against them from that time forward. Cold ones rarely came to the land, and the men no longer needed to transform into wolves. Generations passed.

"A bigger coven came, and your own great-grandfather, Ephraim Black prepared to fight them off. But the leader spoke to Ephraim Black as if he were a man, and promised not to harm the Quileutes. His strange yellow eyes gave some proof to his claim that they were not the same as other blood drinkers. The wolves were outnumbered; there was no need for the cold ones to offer a treaty when they could have won the fight. Ephraim accepted. They've stayed true to their side, though their presence does tend to draw in others…and so the sons of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them."

Billy continued, "Within the last few years unheard of problems came from these cold ones. A young human girl came to Forks to live with her father. She fell in love with the youngest of the blood-drinkers, and he with her. He did not want to break the treaty by biting or killing her. When he left, to keep the girl alive, she turned to the pack, not knowing who they were inside.

"One son of Ephraim Black on his father's side and Quil Ateara on his mother's side fell in love with the girl even though she still loved the vampire. But the pack still had _other_ cold ones coming onto Quileute land, who were not part of the treaty. They _were_ a danger to the people. The pack dealt with a male easily, but a female escaped. She formed an army of twenty crazed, newly formed blood drinkers, and brought them to the land to kill the girl. The coven returned. The girl kept her friendship with the Quileute, but her heart was with the vampire boy. Neither the returning coven nor the wolves could hope to win this battle alone, but together there would be enough to stop the army's advance. There were ten wolves and seven vampires, unheard of before, to defeat the army.

"The girl's love was only for the blood drinker. They married, and produced a baby that was neither human nor blood drinker but both. For the sake of the girl, who was loved by both a cold one and a wolf, the treaty was altered. The Alpha wolf gave the cold one permission to bite the girl, changing her forever into a new blood drinker in order to save her from the death that birthing such a child would bring. The baby was born, but not without bringing the girl to deaths doorstep. When the wolf went to destroy the baby who he thought had murdered his love, their eyes met, and suddenly nothing else mattered to the wolf but that baby. He imprinted on her, and she would have his soul forever. He was no longer a danger to the baby, but was a devoted friend, protector, or mate, whichever she wanted or needed him to be. It changed the pack forever." Jacob smiled, recalling the event.

"The alliance that occurred with this unforeseen event was now forged between this coven and the packs. No pack member may ever harm the object of an imprinting. This Alpha had imprinted on the baby. They were now forged together, packs and coven. The baby grew quickly, and is beloved by all who meet her.

"Later, there was a new threat. The three chiefs of all of the blood drinkers came, bringing all of their guards, plus many other vampires, just to watch. To combat this threat many other vampires gathered to fight against them. The pack's magic rekindled even beyond anything that had happened before. Not only did the age of the sons who phased into wolves lessen, to include those too young to be counted as men, but also a daughter was changed. There were so many wolves that there were two packs. They had changed in response to the new threat."

"A second time the pack and the coven worked together to defeat the new enemy and now they are at peace. Our battle here with this vampire will surely become another story in the pack, to be passed down from generation to generation, especially with half of the wolves in this fight being you two women."

Billy looked over to his daughter and her husband. His voice reclaimed the attention of all within the glow of the fire. "Rebecca, the descendants of Ephraim Black, Quil Ateara, and Levi Uley change in response to the nearness of a cold one. Nothing else can trigger this change. There is a need to defend the people and the land. Only a cold one is the enemy of the wolf. Only the wolf is the enemy of the cold one."

"I know it will be hard for you after all that we have taught you this day, but there is an exception. You remember that I have told you that the Cold Ones in Forks and the Quileutes have a peace treaty. We still do our duty to our people, and we are learning to live in peace with them as well. We love you very much, Rebecca, and would do anything to help you.

"They are the Cullen family. Carlisle is a doctor, and is the head, the father of the family. When they heard of your trouble and agreed that a vampire must be at fault they agreed that they must help us here in Hawaii. We did not win this trip. We had to tell you that lie because we were hoping to stop you from changing. Then we would not have to tell you the truth and frighten you, perhaps changing you on the spot. They arranged for us all to come here to help you. They came with us and have been all over the island while we were with you looking for clues as to its whereabouts. We will find this vampire. We will have no problem with defeating it. Don't worry about that part of our duty here. Our job is to help you. We have vacationed with you, dealt with your transformation and prepared you for anything you might run into. Their job was to search for clues and scents. We will work together. If it will help to keep you safe, we can take you two home with us."

"We have been in contact with them every day, and we are going to try something very dangerous for you. They want to meet with us and work together more closely. They smell a little different than the one lurking on the island, but they are vampires, our usual enemy. They currently are our friends. Their child has been imprinted on by a Quileute pack member."

"Who? Who imprinted on a vampire?" Rebecca interrupted impatiently, looking suspiciously at Jacob. If Sam had imprinted on Emily, and there were only two pack leaders…"

"Well, that would be me," admitted Jacob. "But Renesme is only half vampire and half human. She is the girl you saw when I thought of the day that I imprinted on her. I could never hurt her. I have never in her life been this long away from her and it is painful to me. I yearn for her. I need to see her. I have been visiting her at night when you have slept. We can't tolerate fighting between their family and the Quileutes because of my imprinting. It is forbidden," Jacob concluded, looking down at his hands.

Leah explained, "The Cullens will come in the morning. We will plan strategies with them. They are not our enemy, but their scent may trigger your pack response. Try to not do that, but I know that it is hard for us all except Jacob. It's hard for them, also, to be near to us, but we all honor our word. We'll try to make it easier for you by standing together, but as far away as possible. If you start shaking, close your eyes tightly and hold yourself in. Don't allow your cells to grow. Take a walk."

"We will see what happens. Do you think that you can try this, my little one?" asked Billy.

"I will do my best. Maybe I should stay outside so that there is more fresh air," Rebecca replied, thoughtfully.

"We'll all be outside so that there will be plenty of room and fresh air. Their scent grows when they are in a confined space. They say that ours does, too," Leah smiled.

"We stink to them?" Rebecca added.

"That's what they say," answered Paul.

"Thank you for telling us these stories, dad," she said to her father, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I had heard some of them before, but never believed them to be true."

Billy smiled. "You're welcome, Little One."

Leah came over to Mala. "I will go in to fetch the blankets, pillows and the couch cushions for her to sleep with out here. We don't want her to have a nightmare, get angry, phase in the middle of the night and hurt you, so you can sleep out here, if you wish, but not next to her. Jacob is going to the Cullen's house to see Nessie, that's her nickname, but he'll be back in a while. Paul and I will be here for you," Leah instructed.

Mala added vehemently, "Oh, I'll be out here, all right. You don't think I would cower inside, do you? I'll be as near her as you think it is safe, but she won't be without me."

"All right then. I'll be back in an hour," and Jacob was gone in a blur of speed.

Jacob called out to Edward inside his mind as he approached to see if Nessie was still awake, but she wasn't. Jacob went in to her bedside and sat in a chair next to her bed. Her eyes began to move quickly under her eyelids and he placed her hand on his cheek. Her dreams entered his mind. There were more beaches and flowers, more innocent fun, but sometimes there was loneliness. She was lonely for him, like he was for her. He sat with her for almost an hour. "I'll see her awake in the morning," he told himself as he ripped himself from her side. Then he went out and told Edward, Carlisle and the rest how the day had gone. Now they really needed to plan together. They talked of the location and the possible arrival date of the vampire.

"We will explain what her presence has done here, besides the obvious deaths, and ask her to move on. Our kind doesn't stay put very long and she has killed three people here already. The police are alert, as if they could stop her. We will warn her what a wolf can do to a vampire, and tell her that Rebecca is now a wolf. She will be in danger with Rebecca here, or we can take Rebecca and Mala anywhere they will be safe, in Samoa or Forks," explained Carlisle.

"That's for danged sure!" agreed Jacob. "We'll do our best to prepare her, and will stand between you and her, if needed, to keep everything friendly. How about coming over at about nine?"

"Nine will be fine, we'll be there," he agreed.

Jacob said his farewells and ran outside, phased and continued to the vacation house. He told Billy all about the discussion, and he nodded his head. "Good night, son, you have done a good job, and I am proud of you. I love you, too, but it is easier to tell the girls than it is to tell you," said Billy with a stoic look in his eyes.

"Um, I love you, too," he replied and went to bed to get in some sleep before his guard duty shift.

. . .

**A/N So what do you think? Will the Cullens help kill a vampire who is just there doing what she usually does?**


	13. Game Plan

**Game Plan**  
Wednesday the 23rd (Feat. the Cullens and Blacks)

The vampires arrived after breakfast was cleared, the dishes were washed, and the bedding was all back in the house. Rebecca and Mala sat out on the couch in the far corner of the porch from the other grouping of chairs where everyone else sat. It seemed that just any old folks were coming to pay a call. However, the 'any old folks' glistened and threw rainbows from their white, hard skin where it was exposed. They smelled over-the-top sweet to Rebecca, like she had been told they would. They were beautiful. They were similar in that their skin was white, and their eyes were golden, but they had different faces and hair. Mala held Rebecca's hand firmly as she took a deep breath, and choked from the stink. She tried it again, more successfully.

"Good morning, and welcome," said Jacob. "Rebecca and Mala, this is Dr. Carlisle Cullen, his wife, Esme, their son, Jasper and his wife, Alice, their son, Edward and his wife, Bella, and their daughter, Renesmee. This is my sister, Rebecca, and her husband, Mala."

"The doctor has taken care of us when we have needed it before, so that we don't need to go to the hospital where we would be exposed. Regular doctors wouldn't understand how we heal so quickly." Jasper sent out a cloud of trust.

"Good morning to you, as well," said Carlisle. "I am glad to finally meet you, Rebecca and Mala."

"I hope that we won't need a doctor, but it is reassuring to have you here," Rebecca said, shyly, but she didn't come any closer. Mala put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Good morning. Thank you for bringing our family here to help us. I don't know what would have happened if this would have happened without them."

Renesmee came running over to Jacob. She went right to Jacob and jumped into his arms. "Jacob, here you are! I have missed you so much. You didn't get to go with us to see the pretty flowers or the beaches! Let me show you!" and she put her hand to his cheek. His mind was flooded with visions of Hawaiian towns, shops, people, beaches, flowers, trees, and big turtles. She showed him memories of her daddy giving her swimming lessons, and mommy doing cannonballs with Grandma Esme and Aunt Alice. She showed him herself playing at the beach at night with mommy and daddy, and writing a message in the sand between waves and how the water would erase them. They built things out of the wet sand and watched them be destroyed by the waves. Then they built another one. And all of the forest smelled so good. "_The trees and flowers are different from ours at home, Jacob. Can you go with _us_ today?_" she thought to him.

"Well, Nessie, I think I can. We're going to figure out exactly where we will both be today. We'll see what your mom and dad say."

"Have you been sight-seeing on my island paradise, Renesmee?" asked Rebecca.

"Can I show you?"

"Can you what?" replied Rebecca.

Jacob answered, "Nessie, here, has a special talent. She would like to touch you and tell you what she saw. Right?" He looked to Renesmee.

"Yes, please. It's so much faster and easier."

"You're sure this is all right?" Mala asked.

"It will be fine, no problem, but brace yourself, it is a lot to see, take a big breath first, it might help," Jacob added.

"She can show me first, then, if Rebecca thinks it is all right, she can show her," volunteered Mala, coming over to sit by Jacob. Renesme smiled and closed the gap between them. She looked into his eyes confidently, and he met her gaze. He breathed deeply, exhaled and breathed in again. She gently touched his cheek. He startled, but she kept the contact. She was used to this reaction. His eyes shut and his eyebrows came together. After a minute or so, his expression turned to surprise and wonder. She took back her hand and he opened his eyes. "You weren't kidding! Give me a minute to understand. Did she just send her memories and thoughts to me, by touching me, like a Vulcan mind meld?"

"It is kind of like that, isn't it? I never thought of it like that," Jacob chuckled.

"Well, while you _think_ about it, I want to _see_ it!" demanded Rebecca. She looked at Renesme. Rebecca began to tremble a bit in a bout with nerves but she balled up her hands and took a couple of deep breaths, grimacing at the smell. It wasn't as bad as the smell from the others. Mala rubbed her arms and whispered softly in her ear. Paul and Leah stood up. "No, I will handle this. I have seen that they mean no harm. Give me a minute," and she willed herself to be passive. Renesmee went over to where Rebecca had seated herself. Renesmee held out her hand to Rebecca's cheek

"You are my Jacob's sister who needs help?" she asked sympathetically.

"Yep, that's me," Rebecca replied.

Renesmee touched Rebecca's cheek and opened her mind to Rebecca. Nessie gave her the comprehensive guided tour. She showed Rebecca the first time she saw Jacob, who was looking angry and was coming to her, stopping suddenly and staring at her while his face changed from anger and hate to love and adoration. She showed her the pack treaty with the Cullens. Then she showed Rebecca her family. She showed the Cullens at play in the big house and grounds, her own family's little cottage and a few of the places that they had been. She showed them hunting, and she showed Rebecca how she and Jacob hunted together. She showed this sister all of her memories of Jacob. She showed her the fight with the Volturi and its conclusion. She showed Rebecca herself playing with Jacob in the yard, in the forests, at La Push and at First Beach. She let Rebecca know that he was hers. She loved him. A year and a half of these memories flooded Rebecca's mind gently, like slipping into warm bathwater. She saw the tribe and La Push. Renesmee showed her the pack, their camaraderie, their manner of working together, their warmth and joy. She showed her the fierce protectiveness that kept them going. She showed her the love that the men could not express.

When Renesmee removed her hand, she smiled at Rebecca. Rebecca inhaled and stared blankly back.

"Are you okay?" whispered Leah.

She paused a moment, blinked and smiled weakly, "Yes, I'm all right now." She looked at Nessie and wrapped her arms around the girl. "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was just what I needed. Thank you very, very much."

"You're very welcome," said Nessie, with a sweet smile. "I want to help the sister of my Jacob, too." She ran over to Jacob and leaped into his arms. He caught her.

Rebecca looked around at everyone there, seeing them through Renesmee's eyes and memories. She was touched to the core. She sat there quietly gazing from one person to another. They didn't know what she had seen, and they were all looking anxiously back at her.

Bella took a couple of steps closer. She had seen the aftermath of Renesmee's talent over and over, and knew that there was always first, shock, and then absolute trust in the memories that Nessie shared. She wanted to be reassuring, but didn't know how to approach this newborn. "Renesmee has a special gift that can be overwhelming. How can I help you? Do you have any questions?"

"No, I'm fine. There was just so much to see and digest, that's all," she answered.

"Renesmee showed her everything about her and Jacob, all of it. That's why it took so long," said Edward softly. "She showed her our family and the pack, too. She knows everything now."

"The three of us showed her all of the pack stuff last night. It might be too much," added Leah. "Now she has had it from four different viewpoints."

"She'll be having dreams and nightmares for years," added Paul.

Bella's sickly sweet scent hit Rebecca and brought her out of her reverie. "This is the smell I detected last night, isn't it? It is strong,"

"Sure is," grinned Paul. "I am still not used to it, I just tolerate it."

"But Renesmee smells different," Rebecca added.

"Yep," she smells great!" said Jacob, tickling her belly.

"What smell?" asked Mala.

"Vampires and werewolves stink to each other," answered Leah.

"I'll say," said Alice from across the porch.

"It helped us to get to know the scent of each Cullen, so they won't be mistaken for another vamp who drinks human blood. Do you think that you can try to sniff each person for that reason? Your brain will register them so that there will not be a mistake when you are dealing with more than one," instructed Jacob.

"Really? All right. I feel fine, let me try it." He took one hand and Paul took the other. Each Cullen/Hale came forward slowly so that she could smell them. The vampires were already attuned to the pack scents, so this wasn't brand new to them, but it was all new to her, so they moved slowly. She was very careful to be curious, not fight-ready. When they had all gone past her, she smiled and whispered "Thank you," to each one. "No pop quizzes, though," she grinned.

"Good, now let's get down to business. Alice tells us that the vampire will strike any day now, probably tomorrow or Friday, maybe Saturday. It is a woman who likes big blonde, young men with muscles. She attracts their attention and lures them into some sort of a game of her own design before she drinks them dry. Most bodies are not found. We talked with a beach maintenance man who said that she looked like us, but with very blond hair and a gorgeous figure. He says that her bikini was scant. He saw her after sunset when they clean up the trash. Fortunately for him, he didn't fit her requirements and she left the beach quickly without acknowledging him. We have searched all of the beaches that we thought would fit the bill and think that we have found the correct beach. It looks like she will hit Hale'iwa Beach. It has the right rocks, buildings and so forth, and there is a surf competition this weekend. Lots of men will attend, although it is a lesser beach than Waimea or the Pipeline."

"Yes, sometimes there are women's competitions there, but there are open enrollment competitions there, too. Sometimes a specific club will compete there, especially when the others are too dangerous," agreed Mala. "It would be a good place to hunt from that viewpoint."

"YUCK!" said Rachel and Rebecca together.

"It's a vampire thing," Jasper said, dismissively.

"All right, then, what do we do, then?" asked Paul.

"Today we can hone up our skills," answered Carlisle. Jasper and Edward can show us more about how to fight vampires who are not newborns.

"Leah, take Rebecca out and get her more used to phasing back and forth?" commanded Jacob. "When you think that she is ready bring her back for fight lessons."

"Sure thing, boss," she replied and saluted. She took Rebecca's hand and a couple of beach towels, just in case, and trotted over to the forest.

Out in the woods, Leah and Rebecca were beginning their practice. "Most of the time it is easiest to phase when we are angry or protecting someone. The first time you phased I think it happened because the leech smell near Mala triggered your protective nature. The second time you phased in response to the picture in your mind of his immanent danger from that vamp. Either will work, but you can't just say to yourself as you're walking down the street 'Oh, I think I'd like to be a wolf now', and make a wish to phase. It won't work. The first time I changed I was thinking of Sam and Emily getting engaged, getting madder and madder when it first happened to me. I can't use that one now, because I'm over it. You should see Jacob, though. He can phase on the fly in a second, but it shreds all his clothes. Anyway, at first I would have to sit and concentrate on them to be ready to phase. I'd get hotter and hotter, and would shake more and more until I'd pop. That was bad, but not as hard as phasing back, because I had to learn to how to phase back with the boys trying to calm me down. We women do 'calm' differently than the boys do. They would say things, meaning to put me at ease that would irritate or insult me more than calm me down. I try not to phase with them because of the whole nakedness thing. They all have seen me unclothed, and I them. That picture of me still crops up now and then in someone's mind by accident but I make them pay dearly for it. To be truthful, we are all pretty good looking kids with muscles and leanness and all, but I will 'hear' or 'see' it, so I have to make sure that the price that they have to pay is more than they are willing to bear."

"Bare?" asked Rebecca with a grin and a twinkle in her eye

"Oh, girl! You know what I mean! B-E-A-R, not B-A-R-E!" she groaned.

"I know, I know, it was just too easy. I had to say it." Rebecca giggled.

"Back to business. You are supposed to be getting all angry, not giddy."

"Oh, all right," but she was still giggling.

"Are you over yourself?"

"Can you do it without me coaching you?" asked Leah quietly.

"You think that I should try?" Rebecca was hesitant.

"It is up to you. We can sure use your help. We don't know where exactly she is, or where we will find her or attack her. Do you want to be ready to defend your land and family?"

"Yes, I do. But before I try again, I have something I want to ask you, something that I don't want the boys to hear. When I wrote you that letter, I thought I was late for my period and was hopeful that I might be pregnant. It wasn't a baby, it was the wolf, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was the wolf."

"So we can't have babies?" she asked, tearing up.

"As long as we keep phasing, we keep this wolf thing going, and we are frozen in age and condition. We - you and I, can't have our periods or ovulate. No babies." Leah almost cried herself. "I feel like I am menopausal. I hope to not need to phase any more one of these days, but the Cullens are there all of the time, stinking things up. As long as they are there, others of their kind come to visit, or to challenge or fight with them. We have more than enough members of the pack to keep the peace, but sometimes I think about going somewhere with no wolves and no vampires so that I can get on with my life. However, right now I have a responsibility to our people. I am the Beta Wolf to Jacob and I take care of the things for the pack that they don't think of themselves. I have a place and I'm not aging. I have time to do a good job of this, and then later I will have time for babies. Does that make sense?"

"I guess so. It works for you, but it won't work for me. I have Mala. We want to have children. I don't want to keep my age now when he is already four years older than I am. We want to grow old together…" she trailed off.

Leah raised an eyebrow before she spoke. "That vampire took that all away from you. She came into the neighborhood and stole that dream from you. No babies, no children, no growing old with Mala." Leah looked slyly at Rebecca's arms and legs, which were about to shake off. "That woman wants to keep biting men here. You have to keep phasing and chasing her all over the island. As long as she is here, you can't have any children. Mala will grow old, and you won't." Rebecca's face was turning red. "You need to protect your land and your people. You need to protect your future family!"

POP!

The wolf shook her head and glared at Leah.

"See how effective getting angry is?" she said with a smug grin on her face. "Now change back. No help from me. Oh, I will drape the towel over your back, though."

She stepped back and sat on the ground. The wolf with a towel on her back paced back and forth a few times and then sat on her haunches. She laid down and put her head on her paws. She shut her eyes. It took her about ten minutes to phase back to herself.

"Not fair!" she said when she was herself.

"But it worked. Now you have a few more thoughts you can use to get yourself riled up. Sudden fear of being attacked works, too, but it is costly to be buying new clothes all the time. Shoes are the worst expense. We wear them a bit big, with the strings loosely tied so that we can kick them off quickly. I guess flip-flops might work, too, but flip-flops aren't practical in soggy La Push. At least they don't cost as much as running shoes. We go bare footed a lot."

"Well, I think that you are ready. Are you going to the house with that towel wrapped around you, or do you want to change back to your shorts and top?"

"Shorts and top, and we call flip-flops 'slippers' here in Hawaii." She said, and changed quickly, carrying in the towel.

"Maybe we can get some fighting practice with the Cullens." Leah stated.

They came to the yard as Jasper was beginning. Mala watched from the safety of the porch with Billy and Rachel as the others formed a circle. Jasper took off his shirt. It was hard for Rebecca not to gasp. In the first place the rainbows and glittering were all over the place as the sun was reflected. In the second place he sure had a good build. She thought of Mala's build, and smiled instead.

"I'm the vampire. I'm the skin team. Edward is the shirt team, until I rip it up, that is."

"Wait a minute!" yelled Alice. You will both take off you shirts and give them to me. She gathered them in. "Don't rip the shorts!" she commanded them.

"All right now, dearest?" Jasper laughed to his wife. "Can we continue?"

"Yes, thank you, sweetie," and she kissed him on she cheek.

Jasper did a quick review of how to go after a newborn, just in case the new one was one, reminding them not to allow the vampire to get a hold around them.

"I think that I have learned that particular lesson," Jacob grimaced.

"I'll bet you have," said Jasper.

"Come up at them from the side, like this. Play along, if you would, Edward," and he lunged. Edward acted as a Newborn would and was soon pretending to be missing an arm and his head. "But you have already seen this part. The more skilled fighters will try to fake you out so that you lunge the wrong way, and they gain control. The main idea is to get close enough to incapacitate them before they do it to you. The goal here is to dismember them until the head is off of the shoulders. Then you gather all of the chunks and pieces for burning." He looked over to Rebecca. "Got it?" She nodded.

"How many lighters do we have here, by the way?" asked Carlisle. The three male vampires raised their hands. So did Jacob and Billy.

"Sam and I carry one all of the time. We keep it in our shorts pocket, so that we always have one, just in case," said Jacob. "Let's see you two go for it again. I liked that part when we watched last time

"Is that all right with you, Edward?" asked Jasper.

"It's fine with me," answered Edward, grinning.

"Not too hard, boys, this is a practice, remember," coaxed Esme.

"Yes, mother," they chorused.

Edward and Jasper circled each other, faking a slight movement now and then meant to pull the other off guard. They never broke eye contact. Of course, Edward would see Jasper's moves just as he would think them, but Jasper was trying to go on instinct only to try to throw him off. One would charge the other at lightening speed and try to get hold of a body part to pretend to yank off. They would call out "Got your hand" or "There goes your left arm!" until Carlisle called for a truce. Next they all paired up to play the game. Bella had been practicing at home with Emmett off and on, so she had learned some defensive and some offensive moves since the Volturi had left. Alice just danced around until her opportunity came to grab a head, and would call it out.

"Wait a minute you guys, be careful of our clothes, because we can't take off our shirts like you can!"

That made the men chuckle. "Maybe we can try that tactic later," Jasper grinned at her. The laughter got louder.

"Jasper Hale!" Alice scolded. "Keep your mind on the practice!"

"Dadgum it!" he replied. She gave him a dirty look. He complied.

"Ready, set, go!" he called out. The wrestling and dancing continued for over an hour. Jasper had gone over a variety of strategies. "Okay, that is about it. Are there any questions?" he asked Jacob.

"Nope, I think that was enough for today," he replied.

"Jacob, can we teach our new protégé what we do when we find and catch a vampire?" Leah smirked.

"Sure, sure. Leah and Paul, come over and let's talk about this with her. "I'm tired of talking about killing leeches their way. Let's teach her our way."

"First of all we usually smell them whether we are human or wolves. We phase and then spread out to find the exact location where they are, or were. We follow the scent to where they have gone, really quietly so that we don't alert them," he began.

"We got our first one up in a meadow in the forest. We had been trying to catch him all day when we came upon him talking with Bella. We weren't sure whether he was friend or foe to her, but he started talking about how sweet her blood was and everything." Jacob began to tremble.

"Let us show you," said Leah. "Think of that woman stealing your children or Mala." "Let's go over here to the woods to phase first, though. It shouldn't take as long this time. The more you do it, the easier it is."

"Practice makes perfect," Paul laughed. The girls ran over to the trees and tied their outfits onto their ankle and then phased. Jacob and Paul phased and only had to be patient a couple of minutes for the novice to join them.

"_Okay,_ thought Jacob. "_It went like this…"_ He showed what he saw of the blood sucker circling Bella, crooning her, mesmerizing her. Then he got to the point of telling her how sweet she smelled and that she wouldn't feel the death that he would give her. _"That was it. He was going to kill a human on our land. Well public land, but there were no Cullen vampires around with a treaty protecting them, so he was ours. Plus, he was thinking that he would kill and drain my best friend, Bella. No way! Sam gave the order and we leapt into action. Sam took the lead position, of course and we flanked him on both sides, just behind him. Do you see how we did that?"_

"_Yes, I do. That's called flanking?"_ Rebecca asked.

He answered,_ "Yep. The other two fanned out so that we were like an arrowhead chasing him away from her and into the woods. He ran fast, but we ran faster. We caught him and ripped him limb from limb. Did you catch that? You grab whatever you can get with your teeth and pull it off. The more that comes off, the better, but it is easier to find all of the pieces if they are big."_

"_This just gets better and better," _Rebecca complained, wrinkling her nose.

Jacob continued_, "The only way to make sure that they are really dead is to burn them. The venom that flows inside of a vampire is really flammable. We stack up all of the pieces, put a bit of tinder in for good measure and set them on fire. The smoke is purple and really stinks. The pieces stay alive, looking for other pieces to heal back together to make the leech all over again if we don't burn them."_

"_Yep, better and better."_ She couldn't help but repeat herself.

Then it was Paul's turn. He gave her his viewpoint on the same scene, but from the right flank. Then he showed her the fight with the newborns. He began with the practice scenes in the mountain with Jasper and the Cullens, and then showed her the day the newborn vampires just came waltzing into their area, smug as you please, thinking all they would find was the Cullens, and that the odds were seven to twenty, in their favor. "_We surprised them! The Cullens took nine and we took nine. We _thought_ we had all nine of ours, that is_."

Leah interrupted, "_Wait, I need to show her this part so she knows why I did what I did! That leech was hiding all curled up in a clump of bushes, and I came upon him from the back. I thought I had him, but here comes Jacob, all protective and everything…"_

Jacob continued_, "He was getting the better of you, and I couldn't let that happen. Only I forgot rule number one, don't let them get their arms around you…"_ Rebecca winced involuntarily as the memory vampire did just that and crushed all of the bones on Jacob's right side.

"_Oh man, does that hurt!"_ cried Paul. "_Tone it down a bit!"_

"_Okay, rule number one: Don't let them get their arms around you."_ Rebecca shuddered at the remembered pain. "_Rule number two_: _Break off all the parts you can sink your teeth into. Rule number three: Gather the pieces to burn."_

"_We could add rule number four: The sooner the head is off, the sooner they stop fighting,"_ added Leah.

"_That is just gross_," complained Rebecca.

"_Rule number five: Keep your position in the formation to protect each other,"_ said Paul.

"_On occasion, just the sight of us will be enough of a threat to do the job, without loss of life,"_ completed Jacob, with an overview of the Volturi confrontation. _"Although, we would prefer it to be done our way. Got all of that?"_

"_Oh, sure I do! I have all of that down to the details," _she looked green around the lips. "_What is a Volturi?"_

"_They are like the rulers and executioners of all of the vampires. They came to figure out how to get rid of the Cullens, including Renesmee. We couldn't let that happen so we teamed up again, but they got scared and ran away. We are only a danger to vampires. We kill them. It is the way we protect our people, our families and our land,"_ he concluded, solemnly.

She sat down to contemplate what she had just seen, heard and felt. She reran it in her mind, as they watched. Finally she nodded her head. _"I've got it. It's like the rabbit. Catch, destroy and burn,"_ she agreed. She remembered the hunt with Jacob.

"_Jacob, when did you show her that? The poor little rabbit_!" Leah interjected.

"_Yesterday after you and Paul left." Jacob answered, "I thought of it when you two didn't want to practice with a rabbit earlier. They are quick and unpredictable, like the leeches. I didn't forget it, and decided to do it without you to give her practice_."

"_It actually was good practice. It felt good to run and chase it. Jacob told me to think like a wolf, so it was natural for my wolf to catch and kill it. When it was done, though, it made me sick_." Rebecca said, defensively.

"_She was good. I hardly had to tell her what to do. Enough of this. Let's go for a run_." Jacob said.

Rebecca took the tail position in the diamond formation, with Leah ahead and to the right, Paul ahead and to the left, and Jacob right in front of her. They ran to the last stand of trees in the valley and returned near the house where they phased, dressed, and walked back to the porch. It was almost dark, and Rebecca had never been so hungry or dead tired in all of her life. This wolf thing took a lot out of a gal.

Mala was outside watching for her. She ran right to him and threw her arms around his waist. She slumped and he laughed, but reached down to pick her up and carry her to the house. Later, she couldn't even remember what the food was that Rachel had fixed.

The sun was on the horizon. The Cullens had their things in the SUV and were waiting for Paul, Rachel and Jacob, who were following them to the beach. If there was any trouble, he would call Billy if he couldn't phase, and would wolf-communicate with Leah if he could. They would be at the beach in 10 minutes. Mala stayed at the house with Rebecca so that she could sleep. Leah stayed with them and Billy. She decided to do guard duty on the porch all furry. If they needed her, she would be ready.

. . .

**A/N: More fight practice? What do you think? Hit "Review" and let me know!**


	14. We're Going on a Vampire Hunt

**We're Going on a Vampire Hunt **  
Wednesday the 23rd

The Cullens, Paul, Rachel and Jacob went to the Hale'iwa State Beach Park. People on the beach were packing up their things and leaving because the sun had set, and so there were lots of good parking places. Renesmee grabbed Jacob's hand and ran with him to the beach.

"I really like it here," she remarked. "The waves are fun and so is the sand." The grown ups headed out into the water while Bella stayed with her daughter and Jake. There were only a few night surfers, so they were not too worried. If she followed her pattern the vampire wouldn't be there for two more nights. Paul and Rachel played near the waves and had some semi-private time. Paul started kissing her, pulling her close to him. She allowed a few kisses, but then pulled back, resting her head on his chest. "This is tempting, but please, not in public," she asked.

"No one is paying us any attention," he kissed her ear.

"Nessie is too aware of everything. Maybe later," she replied. She pushed away from him, but kept a sparkle in her eyes and a smile on her lips. She reached down and put her hand into the water. Then she suddenly splashed him and ran away, laughing.

He took the bait and chased after her. She could run fairly fast, but was it hard to run in water up to her knees, and she was no match for him. He tackled her and they both went into the water, laughing and playing.

Bella and Jacob picked Nessie up as the waves met them. She laughed and giggled each time. Bella looked around at the people who were still in the water. "I didn't notice that there were this many people here this late yesterday. We are conspicuous." She didn't take off her cover-up.

"Don't worry, we're far enough away that they are not watching us or noticing your white sparkling arms and legs. Although I must say that the sight of those legs when you were human would have been a sight I would've enjoyed seeing." He gave her the once over and whistled.

"Jake! Shame on you!" she would have blushed in those times, long ago. Now she just gave him a scandalous look.

"I'm just sayin'…" he shrugged his shoulders, laughing, and they jumped more six inch foamy waves with Nessie. They played in the water for a good half an hour before Nessie wanted to build a sand castle.

They called to Paul and Rachel, who joined them. They had the general shape when Edward came running up on the beach. "Paul, get Rachel into the car, quick! Jacob, get Nessie and Bella up to the other car. Go to your house immediately! We will run there."

"What happened?" Bella tried not to scream.

"She's out there," explained Edward. "Alice saw her in the water and was showing it to me when her thoughts blared into my mind. She's not going to wait for the contest on the weekend. There are enough men here tonight for her take her pick. She's getting greedy. Take Bella and Renesmee and get to the house! We will try to get her to stop and move on to another place. If we claim that this is our hunting grounds most of our kind will move on out of courtesy. I hope that this is the case, but from what I have read from her mind, I'm not sure we can dissuade her from hunting here. Jake, if she gets angry, she might get physical. We don't want to fight her, we just came to help Rebecca. We don't want any vampires to think of this beach as a good place to come for humans. Get them out of here." He turned to Renesmee, who was gathering her sand toys. She was aware of the danger because of the tone in her father's voice. "Take them quickly to the car, dear. Go with Mommy back to the house. Be safe, my girls," and he kissed them both, Bella was a little too protective of Renesmee to feel safe staying nearby.

They grabbed an armful of things to take to the car, and tried not to look alarmed. They left a few things, as if they were leaving them for the group in the water. As they drove to the entrance of the parking lot Jacob looked back. Edward was back in the water and couldn't be seen. He put on the brakes and turned to Bella. "I can't leave. I staying to help. If she fights them I must know and alert the others. I'll be the cell phone this time. I can stop her if she comes out of the water. Go to the house, like he says, and keep our girl safe."

Bella's heart would have been beating double time, if it could've. Her breathing was quick. Just as she ran around to the driver's side she saw a glimmer in the water. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was blonde hair bobbing in the waves.

Paul and Rachel had taken off quicker than she did, but she soon caught up with them. They were trying to not draw attention to their frantic driving. The last thing that they needed was a ticket. What would they say to a policeman trying to write them up for speeding or reckless driving, "Sorry, officer, I'm a vampire/werewolf, and am trying to get this human away from a thirsty vampire that I saw on the beach." When they got to the house, a gray wolf was standing on alert on the porch, and all of the lights were out. It would have been hard to see her, except with their super eyes.

Paul and Rachel opened the doors and scrambled out of the car and up onto the porch. They saw that Jacob wasn't in the other SUV with Bella and Renesmee, and guessed that he had stayed with the others. There was no time to ask. Rachel checked Rebecca, who was asleep on the porch. Tonight Mala had crawled into covers with her after she was asleep. He couldn't stand not being with her again. He had his arm around her shoulders. Billy was asleep in his bed. Leah was listening for Jacob. Bella ran up the stairs, Renesmee following her.

"What's wrong, mommy? Why did daddy send us here? Why did my Jacob leave us, too?" she was full of question.

Bella didn't have exact answers. "I think that a bad vampire that we came here to find, the one who made Rebecca phase, was out there in the water. Alice and daddy heard her thinking at the beach where we just were and didn't want you or Rachel to get hurt by her. They are going to take care of her so that she doesn't hurt us. They will tell her that Rebecca is here and that she needs to go somewhere else. They are protecting us. Paul, Leah and I will protect you here. Don't worry, dear, everything will be just fine." But her face belied her words.

"I want to help, too, I'm big," she looked beseechingly up at Bella.

"The best way for you to help is to do just what I tell you to do," she instructed. "Just relax here on the couch. When daddy and Jake are done they will come here to be with us." Bella sat with her daughter, stroked her hair and hummed lullabies until she relaxed and dropped off to dreamland. The tension in the air made that take longer than usual.

Paul and Rachel were having a discussion in one of the bedrooms. "I _must_ phase if I am to protect all of you. If the bloodsucker gets past the Cullens and Jacob she will be coming here. She has already been here and she knows _we_ are here. They don't know we know about them, but I must protect you and the others. I don't know what I will do if anything happens to you, I love you and can't stand the thought of anything coming anywhere near you. Do you understand?" His voice sounded like it would break into tears.

"Yes, I understand. Go do your duty, my big man," she said, trying to be brave. He began to turn toward the door when she grabbed him by the shoulders, spun him around and gave him a passionate kiss. It was also fearful. She let him go, and he stood there torn for a moment before regaining his composure.

He gave her a big smile and said, "I'll be back for more of that!"

Bella was reminded of how she felt about being separated from Edward just before Victoria and her newborns attacked them. The memories brought back the feelings she had then and wanted to go back to help Edward fight, but then she also had to protect Renesmee. The voices grew softer but Bella's ears picked up the soft words that they were speaking. She turned her thoughts away from their conversation. After a few minutes they came out, hand in hand. Paul left Rachel and went out to the porch, taking his shirt off and kicking off his shoes. He went down to the lower level to phase. It didn't take him long to return to stand with Leah.

"I know exactly how you feel," said Bella, softly to Rachel. "I have been in your shoes."

"How do you stand it?" she pleaded.

"Not very well, I'm afraid. Actually, I keep telling myself that I must trust my husband. I believe him when he says that she will be no problem for the five of them, and Jacob. My family is experienced in this area, as are Paul, Jacob and Leah. They stood together before and won. I _want_ to be there at his side, right now, but my daughter needs me more. If the vampire eludes them and comes here again, Paul, Leah and I will take care of her. I have been training with Jasper and Emmett this year, and know a couple of things about fighting, too." She looked toward Renesmee's room, "No one will hurt my baby. I gave my life to have her, and no one will take her away from me now."

Paul was also a wolf now, and he and Leah paced back and forth. That was a good trick with Mala and Rebecca laid out on the floor - there wasn't much room for movement. They didn't want to awaken Rebecca if it were not necessary. She had had a rough day.

"_I'm going to check the perimeter. I'll be back in a minute_," thought Leah to Paul. She ran down the stairs and was off.

Rachel went to the door and whispered to Paul, "Anything new on the beach?" He shook his head left to right.

Maybe it was the tension, or the pacing, or the whispering, but Rebecca woke up with a start. She saw Rachel at the door, and Paul at alert and gasped "What is wrong?" She sat up. Rachel motioned for her to come over to the door, and her movement awakened Mala, who had an identical reaction. Rachel gave up on whispering to them one at a time, and went over to a patio chair near them to explain what had happened at the beach. "Is there a danger of her coming here?" Rebecca demanded.

"There are five vampires and a werewolf at the beach to reason with her. Jacob will be in touch with Leah and Paul when he phases, of course. We then will have communication with them so that we will know what is happening there," Rachel explained. "We will know when they are coming back."

"How good are wolves at swimming?" Mala asked.

"Not nearly as good a vampires," answered Bella. "My guess is that Jacob won't get into the water."

"Unless he has to," added Rebecca. The air stilled.

Only Paul could hear Leah "Nothing out here, I'm coming back."

**A/N The fun has begun. Click Review and let me know what you think!**


	15. To Protect and to Serve

**To Protect and to Serve**  
Wednesday the 23rd

Jacob was standing on the beach. He was sure that Leah had done her job well and would have phased at dark to be on guard duty. She would hear him if anything was happening that would cause him to phase, and she would be ready to act. She was a good person to be his second, his Beta. Now that Paul had time to get to the house with her to guard the rest, he felt better. This would all work out. But still he stood there on the beach staring into the water. He didn't have an inkling what was going on beneath the waves. Edward could hear _his_ thoughts, but he couldn't reciprocate. He sure wished he knew what was happening down there, but all he could do was stand there in his shorts, staring at the water. He paced back and forth some more. He was going wild with anxiety. He couldn't phase before he was needed. There were no bushes or anything behind which he could hide as a giant wolf, and wolves can't use lighters. He just stood there on the beach.

It was a little different under the surface. Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and Edward fanned out in a search grid, close enough to see each other or come to anyone's aid if needed. They came up now and then to talk. At one of these discussions Alice told them, "I see us doing lots of swimming, but that's all. At first the vampire meant this to be only a practice for the game that she has planned for the weekend. But then I see her going after one of the surfers tonight and I felt her thirst. Then I see us racing around after the vampire. She seems to be everywhere, racing close to the rocks and the breakwater and out in the seaweeds. She seems to be evading us!" Alice was frustrated.

That all transferred to Edward, too, as he watched in on her visions. "The funny thing about this vampire is that she seems to talk to herself in her head. We need to talk about this with Jacob," he said.

They swam to Jacob on the beach and Alice explained what she and Edward had sensed. "She must be planning on coming twice, hiding once in the rocks and once in the seaweed out beyond the waves because she has different swim suits on. One day she has on a green bikini to hide in the weeds and her hair is in a pony tail. The other suit is black, what there is of it, and her hair is down. But the time frame in the vision seems like it is the same time."

"She talks to herself, too. I don't think she is aware of us, though," added Edward. "Plus, I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems almost like she is in two places at once. It is weird."

Jasper furrowed his brow. "Edward, have you ever dealt with twins? I mean identical twins? Before Maria changed me I knew this family in Texas who had identical twins. They looked exactly the same. They dressed one of them in pink, and the other in yellow so they could tell them apart. It was uncanny. Even their voices were the same."

"Oh, no!" grumbled the doctor. I have seen this from time to time in human twins. Sometimes they are totally identical, and sometimes they are mirror images of each other. Other times they are two totally different individuals. Could that be what is happening down here? Can there be two of them? Could someone have changed them at the same time out of curiosity or perversion? Or, maybe one was changed and couldn't stand to be without the other and changed her. I have heard of twins having their own form of communication, even telepathic conversations. Imagine that in immortals."

Jacob groaned, "So we may have two instead of one? No wonder Rebecca changed. But could they have even the same scent?"

"It seems to be that way. All right. Let's sum this all up," said Carlisle. As I understand it, it looks like we either have a vampire with two plans who talks to herself, or twin vampires out there now, one by the sea wall and one in the sea weed. They talk to each other by mind-reading, but evidently they don't hear our thoughts. What do you think?"

"Twins," voted Jasper.

"Twins," voted Alice.

"Twins," voted Esme.

"Twins," voted Edward with a sour expression.

"Twins, but I don't like it," voted Jacob.

"Twins, and neither do I," agreed Carlisle. "Well, we are all in agreement, at least. It seems more logical, but more complex.

"We will need to convince both of them to leave," moaned Jasper.

"And if they won't leave?" asked Jacob.

"It's like a professional courtesy," said Carlisle, "They will probably not stay much longer, anyway. They are too conspicuous."

"But what if they feel that it is their territory, and won't leave? What if they defend what they feel is theirs? What if it leads to a fight?" Jacob continued, unrelenting.

"Keep that lighter handy and dry," Edward told him.

"If they will move on everything will be fine," Carlisle added grimly.

"Oh, great. You guys have really made my day," Jacob commented. "I have nothing to worry about. You are either going to talk them out of the area because Rebecca is here, and they will apologize for trespassing and go away, or they might attack you, at which point I'm a beachcomber for vampire parts. At least I get to burn them. Is there a fire pit nearby? I don't want to get a ticket or anything," he said, looking around, spotting one about 20 feet away.

Carlisle reminded them, "We will need to work in groups in order to have a better chance of finding them."

"We'll need to come up to the surface to talk with them, but the waves are too big to just bob around treading water. On the other hand, having a big discussion or argument on shore would be conspicuous," noted Jasper.

Carlisle took charge, "We'll have to see what develops. We'll do our best. Edward, you and Jasper go over to the sea wall and find that one. Esme and Alice, come with me into the seaweed jungle. Try not to go down into it. Alice, can you help us here?"

She closed her eyes and looked around. "Same as before."

"That's good, they are unaware of our presence," he smiled at her. He looked to Jacob. "I know it's hard just standing around out here at midnight, but do your best. It might be helpful if you could find some place to phase, if only for a few minutes so that you can alert Paul and Leah that we are dealing with twin vampires, not one acting alone." After that, watch the water for any sign of us, or for them. Don't let them pass, if they come onto the shore. Okay, everyone in the water!"

"I have one more little question. How do I tell their body parts from yours?" said Jacob, hesitantly.

Edward turned back to Jacob, "The scent," Edward said matter-of-factly and turned and ran to catch up with Jasper. They took off running at blurring speed over to the sea wall, where they jumped in. They were as fast at swimming as they were at running.

"Great." Jacob looked around, running his fingers through his hair. It would be better to phase and tell Leah and Paul before there is time for a fight. There was a pavilion across the way, and he wandered quietly over to a lonely, shadowy place between the locked restrooms. He took off his shorts and phased quickly. He gave Paul the update, because Rebecca, Rachel and Mala had all gone to sleep. They wanted to be fresh in case they were needed. Paul would wake up Leah in a couple of hours so that he could take his turn to rest, too. All was quiet there, at least. He hoped to keep it that way. He phased back and put his shorts back on. It was going to be a long night, and the Cullens would have all of the fun. He was all for ripping them to pieces and burning them, no questions asked. It was a wolf thing.

Edward and Jasper ran over to the end of the sea wall. It seemed to be the entrance to a harbor for boats. They jumped into the water and took a quick look around. They saw no blond women. They separated about twenty feet awa from each other and headed around the curvature of the wall.

They saw her before she saw them. They fanned out to come at her from either side. When she finally spotted them she did a double take. Then she blinked and gave them a big smile. She turned to them and started to surface, signaling them to follow her. Edward read her one-tracked mind and shook his head to Jasper, who followed them upward.

"Well, well!" she exclaimed when they surfaced, "What are you two doing way out here in Hawaii? I thought I was the only immortal here. My name is Joey." She smiled broadly to them, but quickly focused on Jasper like he was the only one there, "You look like you've had a run in or two. You must be fun to... wrestle with." She continued to stare at his body.

Edward heard the revulsion in Jasper's mind, but felt the trust and friendship he was pushing on the succubus. Jasper smiled at her, pushing past her emotions and using his years of practice to help to control hers. "So I've been told. We would like to talk with you. It seems that there has been a miscommunication here. We have a friend who lives here, and this is her grounds. She tries to be inconspicuous, and respectfully asks that you move along to unclaimed territory. No offense has been intended, nor has any been taken. She has been here for a couple of years and is trying to protect her area and anonymity. She has asked if we would convey this message to you, and hopes that you will be civil about it. There have been three people taken already that we know about, and we agree with her that in order to remain inconspicuous no more can happen in this area."

She tore her eyes from his swimsuit and looked up to Jasper's face. She gave a cursory glance to Edward. "You missed one. There have been four. How interesting that is. How did I not see or smell her? "

Jasper plowed on relentlessly, "It's a big island. There are other places that would do for you, she has a permanent residence here," added Edward.

She pouted at them. Her thoughts were still on her plans for the night. She was more thirsty than Edward had thought, but the bloodlust was of lesser importance to her than plain old physical lust. She looked at them again, appraising their muscles and then their faces, finally their eyes.

"You know, I've never seen eyes like yours. How did you get gold eyes? Oh, of course, they must be contacts. I apologize for asking such an obvious question. That's a good idea. Our red eyes sometimes upset men. You know, I have found this to be a good place to hunt, but if it is claimed by someone else, we will go. However, there is no need to hurry right off. I would like to get to know you two better. Is this friend the mate for one of you?" she smirked.

"No, we are just friends," answered Jasper.

"Just friends, you say? Well, if we agree to go somewhere else to hunt, maybe there is something you can do in return for me, to offset the inconvenience of moving" she said, batting her eyes at them. "You see, I have a sister out here with me. Her name is Lucy. We were actually searching tonight for a bit of entertainment, and the blood we would we would have drunken would have been the whipped cream on the top. I'm sure that Lucy and I, and you two could have a very good time together. It would be fun to be with an immortal. We've never tried that, but it could be good, very good. I'll bet that you could do things that humans can't. I'd be willing to guess that you could go for days. I'd like to try it. By the way, Lucy and I are identical twins. You won't even be able to tell us apart. Shall I call her over so we can get better acquainted? We have a ship anchored off the coast just off the ocean shelf. It is so cute. The guy that owned it was good at playing our games, but I'm thinking that an immortal will be better...lots better. We could have our own little party over there for weeks, only stopping for an occasional... 'drink'. You must promise not to hurt the boat, though. M-m-m-m. This is going to be fun!"

"We are not actually interested in playing your games. We are trying to clear up a miscommunication about territory," stated Edward clearly.

"You have a twin sister? Will she agree to leave without further blood from these parts?" asked Jasper. He turned to Edward, "I was hoping to make an agreement without bad feelings. I hate feeling badly." He turned back to her. "I'm Jasper. This is Edward. How long have you been here?"

"Not long, not even a month. Hold on a sec, let me call her over," she simmered and blew him a kiss. She pressed her fingers to her temples and concentrated on a thought.

-.-.-

The seaweed was always shifting. But the darkness was irrelevant to the Cullen's eyes. As Esme got there she slowed down to wait for the others. They got into the familiar search formation and began swimming over the mess. Some of it floated from the sea bottom all the way to the top. It was hard to see movement in them because the weeds were always moving. Esme, Alice and Carlisle swam for a while without success. They finished one bunch of the seaweed and went over to another.

Alice stopped suddenly and almost gasped. She shot for the surface and Carlisle and Esme followed. "Carlisle, the boys have found one. She is by the sea wall, and she is propositioning them." Her face contorted with anger and insult. "She will call her sister to join them. They will go to Edward and Jasper so that we can talk. I don't think that we are far from the sister. When she rises to join them we can talk with her and follow her to her sister." They watched for the sister, but saw nothing.

-.-.-

Joey looked at the men before her and knit her eyebrows. "Something is odd here. You are helping a friend. We inadvertently hunted on her 'grounds'. But she didn't come out here seeking us. That's peculiar. I really didn't sense that another immortal was nearby. The only thing out of the ordinary was a really bad smell that I found the other day. I followed it up to a house that was inland a couple of miles. But that wouldn't have been it, because there was the scent of humans there, too. But I have never smelled anything so repulsive. It gave me the chills. I didn't know what it was, so I followed the scent from the stream clear up to the house, but there was no one there. Is that where she is?"

Edward nodded.

"Why does she stink so badly?"

"Don't worry about it. Let's just say that it would be difficult for you to talk face to face," stated Edward.

"Because?"

"It is irrelevant, just know that we are just trying to keep the peace," Jasper noted.

"There is more. You must tell me everything or we will not agree to anything and will continue to hunt this beach freely!" she insisted. "Why should we change? What's it to you?"

"We have a special agreement with her family. We honor that agreement. We are trying to do this in a manner in which all parties will be safe."

"No, I don't think you are telling me the truth. Go away and let us be. You just want the beach people. We can only be her one or two more times before it gets to noticeable."

"She is a werewolf, and she wants to defend her territory physically," he announced, "She will confront and fight you. We are attempting to avoid this."

"WHAT? She is a werewolf, with vampire 'friends'?" she shouted not believing what they said.

"That is why we came to talk with you. We are trying to avoid harm to anyone. We are trying to peacefully mediate this misunderstanding." Edward was almost pleading as he repeated his words.

Her eyes grew big and round, then turned to suspicion. "One werewolf can hurt two vampires? I don't think so. I think that you are trying to trap us. You want to take us to this werewolf so she can kill us! Or maybe you are looking for a territorial war for this prime beach and there is no werewolf at all!" she cried.

"No, that is not our intent at all. Please listen to us," Jasper said, and sent out a cloud of peace. It bounced off of her like rain on an umbrella.

She closed her eyes for a moment, "_Lucy, DANGER! There are other vampires here trying to take our territory or to hurt or kill us! There are two here and there might be more! Be careful_!" she mentally screamed to her sister. Then she dove under the water and swam so fast that only heightened senses could have seen her.

Edward moaned to Jasper, "She told her sister that we are dangerous. Be on your guard. Let's go! We must stop her!"

Alice, Carlisle and Esme were near the surface. She signaled them urgently to talk. "Oh, no, it is all just changing, it is all confused, and angry. There is danger," she finished.

Just as she finished speaking Esme gasped and disappeared into the water. Carlisle dove down. There, holding Esme was a blonde vampire. They were fighting. Esme was holding her own, but the blond bared her teeth and was going to bite Esme's right arm. Carlisle couldn't allow harm to come to Esme. He tackled the dangerous vampire. She lost her grip on Esme's arm and Alice yanked Esme out of the way. That was not what Esme needed. She had been attacked from behind and below. They were trying to end this peacefully and this was her reward? She was furious! She wouldn't allow Carlisle to wrestle the blond alone. She jetted over to where they were twisting and turning in the water.

There was fury in Esme's eyes as she grabbed a foot. She twirled it clean off, surfaced, and threw it at the shore. She saw that Jacob was still awake and watching. The woman gagged on ocean water, and spit it up. She put up a good fight, frothing the waters. Carlisle and Esme grabbed both arms and pulled on them firmly. Alice grabbed her head under the pony tail and her chin. She was kicking wildly. Alice braced her feet on the woman's hips. She bit her neck and with one mighty twist and yank her head was off. Carlisle and Esme took the torso toward the beach for Jacob. Alice held the head by the hair.

Jacob was bored and tired. He had had a long day and it was after midnight. He kept his eyes on the surface of the water, though. Alphas must be ever vigilant. He looked over to the sea wall for the hundredth time and scanned the surface. "_What was that? It's a head, no, two, Jasper and Edward, but there's a third as well, and it looks just like a blonde female. They're just bobbing on the water, calm as you please between the waves. They seem to be talking. What are they talking about?_" A few minutes later he looked around when he heard some splashing, a lot of splashing, about 100 feet away from the three heads, only now there was only Jasper and Edward. The blonde had submerged. The disturbance pulled back his attention. There was something going on in the water, and then someone emerged and threw an object in the air, coming in to him fast. It almost made it to the beach. He ran out into the surf to retrieve it. "_Oh, man, it's a foot!"_ He picked it up by a toe and threw it onto the beach where a fire pit waited. There was a lot of splashing by the fight, and then nothing. He didn't know whose foot it was, but it was trying to right itself and hop. He got queasy.

He heard some splashing much nearer and he jumped. He took a defensive posture, ready to phase, but it was Alice, holding a head by a blonde pony tail. Carlisle and Esme were right behind her, carrying the torso, which was missing a foot. They checked out the beach for witnesses, but everyone had gone. No one was left except them. Carlisle crammed the body into the pit, and Alice put the head on the top. The three of them surrounded the pit so that what they were doing wasn't obvious. They were not happy.

"Who is this?" he asked as he lit the flames and the venom ignited.

"We didn't introduce ourselves," Carlisle looked stoic. He went over to put his arms around Esme, who was quaking.

"Esme is really, really mad. I don't know what this one and the other one had planned to do, but our plans evidently went awry." Alice added.

-.-.-

Joey watched for her sister for a few seconds. Suddenly waves and splashing erupted around the place where she expected to see her sister. There were four heads above the water line. One piece of shimmering white was hurled almost to the beach. Someone was waiting there, and went into the water after it. She must have been too numb for words, because Edward didn't hear her think one word. Then she screamed and was gone. She was very fast, because the men were not able to catch her. She swam around the wall and into the harbor. She was able to come up near some buildings and was gone faster than they could catch her. She came into view as they scrambled up the wall. They ran across the top and onto the beach. She was already on the other end when they began chasing her, going up and over the wall toward Jacob, Esme, Alice, and Carlisle. Alice turned to see her and began to run to catch her. Jacob had been facing the breakwater, watching the purple, stinky fire and saw her come up onto the beach at them. She growled at him. He reacted immediately and phased. He gave chase, too, but couldn't make up the distance before they got to a lit street.

She stopped, smelled the air, and screamed to him, "YOU! I HAVE SMELLED YOU BEFORE! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE! I'M GOING THERE NOW TO KILL EVERYONE WHO IS THERE!" She turned and was off faster than human eyes can follow.

Jacob tried to chase her but couldn't catch her. He sent a message to Paul, Leah and Rebecca, "LEAH! PAUL! REBECCA! GET UP! GET THE PEOPLE TO THE CULLEN'S HOUSE. There were two leeches, twins! We got one them, but the other got away. She must be the one who had come by the house. She screamed to me that she had been there and was going back to kill everyone there now. Get Renesmee, Billy, Rachel and Mala up to the other house. Don't take anything! Do it NOW! She will be there in minutes! Paul, try to stop her. Let everyone else go to the other house, but you stay there to get her. It's all up to you, Paul! You can do it! We're all fine and are running to you, but you must get everyone else away from there. HOLD HER OFF, WE'RE COMING!" There was no mistaking the Alpha voice.

Leah was up on duty, and Paul was asleep, but still as a wolf. Suddenly they both jumped a foot in the air. Rebecca even responded. She screamed and phased on the spot, with Mala right there. Fortunately, they were back to back. He was relaxed while he slept, and rolled away, without getting touched as she sprang up. They all heard the Alpha call. The phone rang, and Bella grabbed it open. "What happened? How are all of you? What? All right, um-hm. NO! OH, NO! Yes, yes, right away! Be careful! I love you!" She hung up the phone and grabbed Renesmee. She ran and woke Rachel and got the two of them into the car.

Paul told Leah and Rebecca to phase back and use the car to get on their way to the other house. They would have to protect everyone if the leech got by him and was able to follow the car. They protested having to rephase, but he told them that their scent would be harder to follow in a car than if they ran there on wolf feet, so they did it. Leah and Paul still had their outfits on their legs and quickly put them on as they neared the car without turning. Rebecca phased back and grabbed a blanket from Mala, who held it up for her. The women drove off.

Mala ran in to get Billy's wheelchair. Paul had phased human and ran in, bare naked, after Mala to go get Billy and carry him out to the car. Mala threw the wheelchair into the back and got into the driver's seat and started the car. He waited for Paul to bring Billy, who was really shaken by the attack. They all were. Paul slammed the door and Mala took the roads at breakneck speed.

Paul ran back up to the house. He ran through the house, turning off all of the lights and closing the doors. He grabbed the bedding left on the porch and threw it onto the couch. He closed the door behind him and phased back into the wolf. He hid in a dark corner under the porch. He thought to Jacob, _"It's done, they are all gone in the cars to the other house. I'm here alone. I tried to make it look like everyone was asleep. Are you coming?"_

"_Yes, we're halfway there, but she got a head start on us. She should be there any time. We're on our way. Stall her! We'll be there in three minutes_," yelled Jacob in his mind.

A twig snapped, and so did Paul's attention. She was coming through the fields, and was following the fence, just like she had done the other time. She leaped adeptly up onto the front porch, not seeing him under it. She twisted the handle of the door right off and pushed the door open. If she hadn't had immortal eyes she would have tripped on the bedding. She went, silently from room to room, finding nothing but chaos. From his hiding place under the porch he could hear every breath, every step. He followed her in his mind so that Jacob could hear it, too. Finally she screamed in rage.

Then she sang out to him in a coaxing, soprano tone, "Hello, hello! I know you are here, I can smell you! Come out, come out wherever you are! Come out and play! I have never seen a man-wolf like you before. You can't be a werewolf, because the moon is not full. I saw the other one like you at the beach change from a man into a big wolf. Come on out. I know that you are not the same one as I saw on the beach. You did me no harm, but he will die, slowly and painfully. I know you can hear me. Come and get me." She fairly purred to him.

He was sick of her, but wanted the element of surprise on his side, not hers. He held still and breathed quietly, in and out, in and out. He was too big to be in the house. He would have trouble getting through the door, so he couldn't go in to get her, he would have to wait until she came back out. He silently stepped out from under the porch, and around to the steps when he could hear her coming to the front door. As she stepped through the door she was beginning her sing-song again, "Come out, come…"

And he sprang on her. He bit toward her head, but got a mouthful of hair. A bunch of it came right out with pieces of her scalp attached. He spat it out as she screamed. She rolled out from under him and kicked him hard in the ribs. He yelped, but didn't stop. He charged her, but she was fast. She kicked him harder in almost the same place. He heard it crack. He held back a yelp. He jumped back from her and did his best to get into a crouch. He snarled. She lunged. He leaped away, painfully and landed across the way, trading places. She growled, deep in her throat and leaned to the left. He recognized the fake lead from Jasper's lessons, and responded correctly, leaping the opposite direction of the feint. He didn't have much time. He wanted to take care of this before the others got there. He wanted a single handed take down. He would protect Rachel. He was Sam's Beta and he knew how to fight. But so did she, and she was not fighting like the Newborns had, just as Jasper had said. They both leaped and met in the middle with a loud bang. She landed first and was ready when he landed and she stomped on his hind foot, one of his lunging feet. It was broken. He knew it. He had heard and felt it break, but he had heard something else, too. He had heard Jacob and the Cullens arriving at the house. It wouldn't be a kill for him this time. But it wouldn't be one for her, either.

She heard them, too, and immediately leaped from the porch and out into the forest, on a full run. She quickly found the car tracks and smelled them while she was running. Yes, there was enough of a scent to follow them, which she did.

Alice saw her, jumped out of the car while it was still going and followed her immediately, saying, "No one attacks Esme and Paul like that and gets away with it." But she knew where the cars had gone. The cars had to follow the road, and the vamp followed the cars, but Alice didn't. She ran cross country.

Edward and Carlisle searched the house. Jacob alerted Leah and Rebecca that the vamp had eluded them, again. He warned her how tricky she had been and to not allow her anywhere near the humans.

Jacob, Jasper and Edward looked at each other, then simultaneously leaped over the porch wall and ran off to save their women.

Doctor Cullen looked at Paul's injuries quickly, so that the he could correct anything before it healed badly. He told Paul to phase back to human and Paul shook his head and looked at Esme. She took the hint and went through the door and got a sheet from the heap on the floor. They threw it over him, and he phased back.

"Esme, I need you to help me to set his bones. Go into the forest or somewhere and get me some substantial pieces of wood for a splint. Did I see some newspapers gathering in the front room? I'll need them and something to tear into strips for bandages."

"I'm afraid that we will need to rip up one of these lovely sheets," said Esme, coming back into view.

"Not this one!" Paul grasped the one that covered him, grimacing at the pain in his ribs.

"No, dear, we'll use the other one," she soothed him. She ran to get the newspapers, wood and the sheet.

"Okay, Doctor Fang, what is your assessment?" Paul asked weakly, bracing himself. He remembered what Jacob went through after the fight with the Newborns. He forgot that they had never called him that particular name to his face before.

Dr. Cullen grinned and looked up to Esme. She grinned, "Go ahead, Dr. Fang. Give him your prognosis."

He looked at her through slotted eyes. She was not going to let this name die, he was sure. Her sparkling eyes confirmed it.

He focused on the patient. He ran his hands down the side that Paul was favoring. He winced as the doctor found the damaged spot. "It seems that you have a cracked rib here, and a bruised one next to it here on your left side." He ran his hand down the right side. "Your right side seems normal." He ran his hands down Paul's arms and around his head. Then he traced the bones down his legs and to the feet. Paul grimaced when he got to his left foot. "It seems that the bigger problem is your foot. She did a job on your left foot and I will have to reset the two bones that broke. This isn't going to be fun. The skin is in tact, there is no bleeding."

"I'm really glad about that," groaned Paul.

"All right, now comes the fun part, and he raised his lips, exposing his sharp teeth, wagged his eyebrows and hissed. "Dr. Fang at his best!" Esme laughed to herself. Paul braced himself. "Just joking!" The doctor said and got to work.

They wrapped his torso quickly. Esme then held the leg. Paul couldn't have moved if he had wanted to. Dr. Cullen looked him in the eye and commanded, "Don't phase, Paul. It will make your injuries worse. Hold on, it will be quick."

The pain was sharp only for the second it took Carlisle to set the bones, but the foot felt better immediately, once the bones were in place. Esme helped Carlisle splint it all up.

"It is now your job to sleep the rest of the night. You'll probably be fine by breakfast or so. I'll get you into a bed," and the doctor lifted him straight up without jarring the injuries and took him in to the nearest bed. Esme hummed a lullaby to him. Paul was out in a flash.

The doctor and his nurse went to the porch to clean it up and peer out into the darkness. "My boys are in danger and we are stuck here," she whispered.

"Yes, but they are big boys and know what they are doing. Don't worry. They will return safely."

"Did Alice tell you this?"

"Well, no, we just must trust them," he crooned to her.

Her bottom lip began to quiver. She put her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. "I have never been so angry in all of my life. We just killed a person because I was angry."

"It was in self defense, sweetheart. She was going to bite your arm off. I don't know what the other one transmitted to her, but she was after your life, I am sure of it," he soothed her. He patted her back and rocked her back and forth as they stood there looking out into the darkness toward the house where their children were facing the continuing danger.

**A/N - Twins? Do you think she'll make it to the other house?**


	16. Wonder Women

**Wonder Women**  
Thursday, the 24th

It was an hour before dawn, but the sky was still dark. Billy, Mala, Rachel and Renesmee were in the house. Leah, Rebecca and Bella were positioned around the house. The cars were in the garage, with the garage doors closed. All of the lights were out. Locks were useless.

There was no time to do anything else. According to what Paul had shown them they only had a few minutes head start on her. That's how long he was able to stall her, to give them some precious time. Rebecca and Leah felt his bones crack and break through the link and they yelped. Rachel cried. Billy did, too, but he didn't sob like she did. Bella told them that they had to be quiet. Renesmee said she would. The humans were exhausted. Their nerves were frayed and frazzled as they listened to all sounds in and around the house. Alice, Jasper, Edward and Jacob were on their way. Alice was going to arrive at about the same time as the vamp would.

Bella had seen how Victoria and Riley fought on that mountaintop. She remembered the moves Edward took that morning, as well as all of the lessons she had taken from her new brothers. She no longer had to be the Third Wife. She was a huntress herself, a lioness worthy to stand next to her king, the lion, Edward.

Rebecca was new to all of this. She had seen only a bit of what she would need to know. She had to rely on her instincts, and the voices in her head. Her brother, Jacob was on his way. Her husband, sister and father were inside of the house. She had a lot to fight for. Everyone that she loved was involved. They had done all of this for her. She had to let them know that it was worth the price. She was worth the price.

Leah was the Beta of Jacob's pack. She liked it there. She would always be kind of the matriarch of the pack. She brought her own way of thinking and behavior to the pack. However, she had found that she had to prove herself more than the boys did. She had the hardest path to tread, but she showed them that she was as good at it as they were. It was harder, because she was smaller, though. They respected her for that.

Alice was running at top speed. She would beat that vampire to the house. She thought of her mate as she ran. She had waited for many years for Jasper. She had seen him so often in her visions that she loved him before she had even met him in person. He was immediately her heart and soul. He was her everything. No woman would touch Jasper. No woman would look at Jasper the way that this Joey had, no woman who wanted to live, that is. She and Jasper were made for each other. End of story.

There was a muffled step and Alice ran into sight. Everyone jerked around defensively at the sound. "It's me, Alice," she said. They heard her in time and didn't jump on her. She went right up to Bella and gave her a big hug. "We'll be all right. No one will hurt those who we love today. I have seen it, or at least I have seen her purple smoke."

The strategy was simple. The first one to be aware of the vampire would alert the others. They would cover and flank each other. They would encircle her and rip her up and then burn the pieces. The wolves would be on either side of the street, in the foliage. Bella would be in the dark street, waiting for her. When she passed the wolves, they would come in behind her, trapping her. She would come in so fast that she might not smell them until she had passed them. Bella would prevent her from getting near the house and they would prevent her from running elsewhere. Now Alice would help, too.

In the next moment this Lucy was running up the street to them. She ran right past the hidden wolves and stopped short when she saw the two women vampires. As swiftly as light can travel, the wolves jumped out and closed the gap. She didn't know where to turn. She had gone from being the huntress to being the prey.

"Who are you?" she said impertinently.

"We are the wives of the men that you met in the water tonight," began Alice. By the way, I am the only one who knows how many days Jasper can go on, and yes, he does know a lot of things that would have surprised you. One of the surprises we have for you was that _they_ were looking for _you_, not to entertain you and your sister but to ask you nicely to move to another place, but, oh, no. You wouldn't cooperate and sent your sister to destroy us," Alice glared at Joey.

"Yes, but they were going to hurt us! They wanted us to move along in favor of a WEREWOLF." Joey sneered.

"And you, poor thing, didn't believe them. We never wanted to hurt you, but no, your sister attacked us!" Alice's voice changed from mocking to harsh. "You were flirting with my husband, and she attacked my mother. So I was the one who dealt with her. It was me that relieved her of her head," Alice taunted.

Joey screamed and rushed at Alice, who was waiting for her. Alice just stepped out of the way just as she got up to her. Bella had seen Alice do this before and knew what Alice would do. She stepped behind the void Alice left and caught Lucy by the wrist, spun her around with that arm behind her back, and put her own arm across Joey's chest and to her far shoulder, securing her.

Bella nodded toward Wolf/Rebecca. "Do you see this woman? Yes, she is a woman. You came to her land and did this to her. You killed her people, her neighbors, the travelers within her city. They never asked to die as slaves to your lusts. You know the boy down at the beach that burned your sister? Oh, yes, we know about that. He is her brother," Rebecca snarled. "She has a husband and they live near here. She didn't know that the scent of a vampire would do this to her, until you showed up. Did you know that she can have no children while she is a wolf? Yes, you took that from her, too. You are on _her _land. You threaten the lives of _her _husband and the people in her town. How do you think that makes her feel toward you? Hm-m-m?"

Rebecca growled, showing the full extent of her teeth. She snapped them at her.

Alice continued the accusations, "You have eluded our men, but you will not elude us. We are united this morning for one cause only, and that is to stop you. We will stop you from tainting Rebecca's air, land, sea, family and her man." Lucy struggled, but couldn't break Bella's hold on her. "We will stop you from stealing the lives of the men that you torment and then kill. We will stop _you_. Period."

Joey kicked up at Alice and Bella again, and twisted loose of her strangle hold. She leaped straight up into the trees, but Alice and Bella did not allow her to go far. As they went from treetop to treetop, Leah and Rebecca barked and snarled at her from below. Alice and Bella went flying through the trees just as quickly as Lucy did. She thought she saw a safe spot and jumped into it, just as Jacob arrived there. She screamed and jumped back from the giant wolf. She stumbled and fell, and Rebecca did not hesitate. She leaped on her and took one bite right to Lucy's neck. Rebecca shook her like a rabbit, biting harder until her neck broke and her head came off. Alice grabbed the left arm and Bella grabbed the right. They wrenched the arms right out of their sockets, with a high pitched, keening sound. The four of them tore her apart into many pieces and then stacked them in the road for burning. They needed to get the fire lit before dawn, when it would be noticed. They looked around to each other. No one had a lighter. Bummer. She might get away, piece by twitching piece while they looked for a stupid lighter.

They noticed Edward, who was standing there, leaning against a tree, with his arms folded across his chest and a grin on his satisfied face. Jasper was standing next to him, his eyes on his wife in appreciation. Jacob was sitting on his haunches watching the angry women, standing by, in case he was needed, unnoticed until then by the Rebecca/Leah/wolves or the Cullen women, watching their wonder women do the task that _they_ had not been able to do. "Like a light, Ma'am?" taunted Edward, taking a lighter out of his pocket.

"Why thank you, I don't mind if I do!" and Bella snatched it out of his smug hand and tossed it to Alice. With great flourish, she lit the pyre. The body burst into purple flames and burned until dawn.

**AN - Hell hath no fury... eh? Hit review and let me know how much you loved the wonder women!**


	17. Haven't You Left Yet

**Haven't You Left Yet?**  
Friday, the 25th

Bella and Edward went running into the house to grab Renesmee and hug her while Leah and Rebecca phased and dressed. Freed from the danger, Rachel, Mala and Billy ran outside to the dark porch. Rebecca ran to Mala and collapsed into his arms. The celebration had only lasted a minute before Alice remembered that Carlisle, Esme and Paul would surely be anxious. Jasper came running around the corner, nervous because of the racket. He ran up to Alice, grabbed her around the waist and kissed her all over her face.

"We need to go back to the other house. Edward, would you call Carlisle and tell them that we got her? They must still be worried," Alice said. She closed her eyes and said, "The pack and the humans will eat breakfast, and then they can sleep while we get everything ready to go home. Carlisle will make the arrangements to fly back home."

They all loaded back into the cars for the drive back. When they got there the cacophony of explanations began.

"Whoa – slow down," said Jasper.

"One at a time, please," requested Esme.

The commotion had awakened Paul, "Wait, not without me. Ugh, I can't get up with all of the mummy wraped splints!"

Carlisle went in to carry him out to the couch. He looked earnestly into his gaze, "Your injuries are not totally healed yet. Don't move for another hour."

"I'll try," he said, obediently, wincing.

Each story was told, and amazement was everywhere. "Hooray, for the women! Called out Jacob, "They saved us all, especially my sister, Rebecca!" Everyone hooted her name and applauded. She blushed. Mala, who had not let go of her yet, kissed her again and again.

"I don't know about you guys," Bella nodded to the Black family, "but I need to feed my daughter some breakfast. The sun is up. Edward, will you come and help me?" He was at her side in less than a second. They emptied the contents of the cupboards and refrigerator and prepared a feast for the ravenous family.

Renesmee took little samples here and there, and sat on Jacob's lap after they were done, resting her head on his chest. "Jacob, I didn't like being away from you this week. Please don't do it again. It hurts."

"It hurt me, too, and I will try never to do it again. But I can't promise. Let's just hope another vampire doesn't come here again," he replied and gave her a gentle hug and kissed the top of her head.

"Watch it, that's my daughter," said Bella.

"If any vampire comes around here again, my Rebecca will know what to do, but I love her in any form she takes," Mala exclaimed, squeezing her a little.

"Oh, Mala," she blushed again.

"Has it been an hour yet?" Paul asked the doctor.

Carlisle went over to him and felt his ribs and foot. Paul didn't even wince. "You're ribs are all right, but be careful of your foot, still. It'll be fully recovered by the time we leave for the airport."

"Good." Rachel was sitting next to him and he turned around to address her. "Rachel, I can't get down on one knee, but I love you. I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, and will love all the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

Rachel gasped. "What? Oh, Paul, of course I will marry you!" and she flung her arms around him and gave him a big kiss. Everyone applauded them. Rachel blushed.

"Billy, is it okay for Rachel to marry me?"

"Sure, sure. You're at the house all of the time, anyway. I knew it would happen soon. The tribal elders will be pleased," concurred Billy.

"When? When can we get married? Today?" he pleaded.

"Well, give me a minute. I don't know! She looked at Bella, pleadingly.

Bella said, thoughtfully, "These things take time, Paul, but I just happen to know someone who is really good at that kind of thing. What do you think, Alice?"

"Would you like my help, Rachel?" Alice asked.

"Yes, please, if you could, I know nothing about weddings," she answered.

"Well, this will be different, but it will be very interesting. Billy, you and I will need to talk. A lot. We will make this a beautiful Quileute wedding."

"How long will it take?" Paul persisted.

"A few months," she replied, thoughtfully.

"A few months?" He turned back to Rachel, "Can't we just run away and get married? Rebecca, don't you have anyone here who could marry us here, today?" Paul pleaded.

"No, absolutely not," said Rachel. "My wedding planner has too much to do to be ready in any less than three months, right, Alice?"

"Absolutely!" Alice agreed.

"Who do you want to have in your wedding?" asked Alice.

"Oh, I only need a bridesmaid, or in this case, a matron of honor. Rebecca, will you do this for me?"

Rebecca squealed, "Oh, yes, yes, yes! This is so wonderful!"

Paul turned to Jacob, "Hey, almost brother, will you be my best man?"

Jacob eyed him warily, then suddenly smiled and said, "Certainly!"

"Paul, do you have a ring for her yet?" asked Alice.

"No, I didn't know that I was going to ask her. I didn't even know how she felt about me before we came here," he said remorsefully.

"Well, that is your first duty when we get back home," Alice instructed.

"Oh! I don't need much. Bigger isn't always better for me. Can we go together to choose our rings?" Rachel asked Paul.

"How about if I make them?" Paul replied. "My father taught me how to do it."

"Um, Paul, as long as you're a wolf you can't wear a ring on your finger, it's impractical. It would break any time you phased," warned Jacob.

"Oh, yeah, well, how about if I make two, all twisted around together so that you could wear them for the both of us?"

"Oh, I would love to wear a ring that you made yourself, and will be proud to wear yours, too," she exclaimed.

He was thoughtful for a second, "Sounds like I'd better get started on building a house for us, too. There is plenty of room on the reservation for a house for us. I suppose that I can get it ready in three months."

"You'd better!" said Rachel.

"You will spend much time building this house?" asked Billy.

"I suppose I will be, if I want it ready by the time of the wedding," Paul said.

"Good, you will be spending less time at ours, and eating less of our food," nodded Billy, grinning with satisfaction.

"Good one, dad!" laughed Jacob.

"Can it be a big cabin made out of logs? They are beautiful, and warm in the winter," Rachel sighed, ignoring her father and brother. "I'd like a big front porch to sit on in the evenings, and a big bedroom for us... and smaller bedrooms for our children."

"Our children?" he gasped. His eyes glazed over. Then he smiled at her. "Yes, we will have bedrooms for our children. Of course you can have it any way that you like," he promised.

"Would you like any help on that? I love making houses," Esme grinned with anticipation. "Of course, we would honor the treaty and not come onto your land."

"Actually, I'd like to do a lot of it myself, for my Rachel, if I can figure out how to lay it out," he answered.

"Rachel, you would be welcome to come over to our home to get some house plans ready," Esme smiled.

"The pack would help you build it. Might as well use our muscles on something more than running around," added Jacob.

"Thanks," said Rachel, kissing her "little" brother on the cheek.

"You know," thought Paul, "I will also need to make a living for my family, one that is flexible enough to work around my pack duties. I've helped other people build houses, We all help each other build our houses in La Push. However, if I figure this out, maybe I could learn how to build houses for a living. It would help our people, too. Or maybe we can work with cars, open up a repair shop. Forks has only one of those, and they charge too much for repairs."

Rachel looked at him and then looked at Billy. "Who is this man, he looks like my Paul, but he doesn't sound like him."

They all laughed.

When the din died down the Quilleutes started dropping like flies. Rachel left her head on Paul's chest and they both fell asleep on the couch. Mala and Rebecca luxuriated on a bed in a bedroom. Billy napped in his chair and Renesmee fell asleep on Jacob's chest. They were both out soon. Paul and Jacob snored.

Esme and Bella cleaned up the house and had it ready, except for the occupied beds, to lock and leave. Alice donned her cover-up daytime shopping outfit and went to buy a new set of sheets and a new doorknob for Jasper to install on the front door. Carlisle let the crew of the private jet know that they were done with their vacation and would need to be ready to leave that night just after dark. The crew and jet would be ready. He called the realtor to get the house details completed, and the car rental place to tell them that they would be returning the vehicles that night. Finally, he called Rosalie to tell them when to pick them up at the airport. He then passed the phone over to Esme so that she could fill Rosalie in on all that weeks events. It took a while to get it all out. When Alice returned, Jasper fixed the doorknob.

They left Renesme in sleepy, noisy Jacob's capable hands and drove over to the house that they had used. There was considerably less work to do at that house. They had almost ignored the kitchen, except for Renesmee's breakfasts, and it was a quick job to pack everything out to the car. The little road out in front had a bunch of ashes on top of some scorched burn marks. As an afterthought, Alice put some of the ashes into an envelope to give to Rebecca as a memento like her father had.

She quickly wrote on the envelope:

"To Rebecca to be placed in a Quilleute pouch in remembrance of a time when old fables became real."

They locked the door, put the key back in the realtor's lock box and drove to the first house. By the time that they returned everyone was awake. The bags were packed and everyone got into the SUVs and drove to Rebecca and Mala's house. Everyone hugged and kissed them, and they bid them a tearful farewell. Rachel and Rebecca had the worst time of it. They only took comfort in the fact that they would see each other in three months for the wedding.

The drive to the airport in the Quileute car was noisy and fun. Renesmee wouldn't get into the car with her parents.

"I have been away from my Jacob all week. I want to ride with him," she stated, so she was in on all of the fun.

The Cullen's car was more relaxed. Alice had picked up some realtor's listings, the kind that look like want ads, and was looking at them in the back of the van with Esme and Bella. "Kauai, I think," said Esme.

"Okay, let's see, those are listed on A-4. Here is has a view of the beach. Oh, it only has only three bedrooms," read Alice.

"All right, how about this one near the forest. It has five bedrooms, four baths, a family room and a living room, a pool and a tennis court," said Bella

Esme countered, "Oh, look at this one. It has five bedrooms, a pool, lots of windows, classic styling, five bathrooms, a family room as well as a living room, a game room, and fifty acres of land, adjacent to the forest. It even has a guest cottage for Rosalie and Emmett, if they get to be too much! Just look at the colors in the dining room - just like home."

"Here is one that looks like a private resort. It has one big central lodge, with four satellite cottages. The cottages each have two or three bedrooms, kitchens, two baths and a big front room. I don't really like the décor on this one, but I can fix that." Esme smiled. It is on the island of Maui, near the reserve. They even have deer on this island. That's nice of them," said Bella.

"I'll bet there are no mountain lions," called back Edward.

"No grizzly bears, either," noted Carlisle.

"We'll only stay for a week at a time, then," said Esme, as we try not to impact the environment, remember?"

**AN - They all got out without a scratch. Nice, eh? Please hit the "Review" button!**


	18. A Quileute Ceremony

**A Quileute Ceremony**  
Sunday, June 21, 2011 Summer Solstice

Leah threw the private bachelorette party for Rachel, and planned a special part of it for Rebecca. Just as they finished their desserts at the Forks Café Sam and Jacob came "crashing" into the diner, followed by all of both packs. Even Mala was there, laughing like the rest of them. All of the men had their shirts off and were howling like wolves. The girls rolled their eyes and protested. The waitress laughed.

The next thing they knew the three girls were swooped up by their men. They drove them to Emily's house. There was a tattoo artist there, waiting. They had really kept him busy lately. Rebecca was terrified.

She glared up at Mala, "You wouldn't!"

He howled like a wolf and got her into the kitchen. It was like putting a cat into a box. She was all arms and legs. She looked pleadingly to Rachel and Leah. Leah pulled up her sleeve to show her tattoo and gave her an 'It's got to be done' look. Rachel was laughing so hard she was over double.

"Come on, Rebecca, it isn't so bad. You are already part of my pack, you need to be proud of your heritage!" scowled Jacob.

"I am proud of it! I just really hate needles!" she yelled back at him.

"Oh this won't hurt for long, I promise," laughed Mala.

"Roll up your sleeve, big sister," Jake said, "and don't move, or it will be ruined. I have some anesthetic cream to rub on your arm. You won't feel it as much if you rub it on."

She saw that she had no choice. She glared at them all and started to unbutton her shirt.

"Now wait a minute, Rebecca, we only need your arm naked. You don't need to take off your shirt!" said Mala, worried.

"I have a tank top on," she said as she took off the shirt. She glared at them all as she rubbed the cream onto her arm.

The artist got his tools all ready and sat down. Rebecca began to tremble. Jacob stopped the man and looked her in the eye, sternly. Rebecca calmed her wildly beating heart. She didn't want to phase right here and wreck the place. Or maybe that would get her out of it, but she doubted it. She sat down resolutely.

"Would you like me to hold you?" Mala asked, helpfully.

She took Mala's hand in her left hand and didn't care how hard she gripped it.

"You don't have to watch, you know," soothed Rachel.

"That's easy for you to say," was her brilliant comeback.

She looked at Mala through her slitted eyes, "You knew they were going to do this to me?"

"Not until half an hour ago," he admitted.

"Are you kidding? He couldn't have kept this from you," laughed Paul.

"He tried to talk us out of it when we told him," added Seth the peacemaker.

"He said you would faint, so, against the pack tradition, we allowed him to come to help you along with it," added Sam.

"He has his family tattoo in the same place as ours, so you'll sort of match," stated Embry.

"Enough! Are you ready, big sister?" demanded Jacob.

"As if I had a choice," she acquiesced. She filled her mind with the picture of holding a little baby in her arms. She couldn't phase or it would push back the time she would have to let pass before she could conceive. She held that thought and nodded her head to him.

The artist did his work as quickly as he could. By this point he knew the pattern pretty well. This was almost his twentieth time doing this one, and he still didn't know what it stood for. He actually didn't care if it stood for anything. It didn't matter to him if it was a Quileutte fad or a new Disney character. He just did the work he was asked to do, although he often wondered why this tribe didn't bleed as much as his regular clients. The tatoo seemed to show no redness as soon as he was complete. He had, however, been given strict instructions not to repeat it on anyone else. It still took an hour to finish it and clean her up.

The other pack members waited outside. Sometimes one of them wandered in and out to check the progress of the tattoo. It was hard to get them all into a small place like that at once. Mala, Leah and Jacob stood, or sat, with her the whole time. When it was finally over, the man gave her some unnecessary antiseptic cream to keep away infections, covered it in unnecessary bandages and put away his machinery. She jumped up out of the chair to get out of there, but almost passed out from the tension. Jacob was the closest to her and caught her before she hit the floor. Mala scooped her up into his arms and carried her out to the front porch where the others were waiting. They all gave her a cheer, took her away from Mala and hoisted her onto their shoulders.

They carried her triumphantly to Billy's house. He was waiting at the door for their return. When they got her onto the couch he hugged her and asked if he could see the new tattoo. She removed the bandages from the already healed skin and looked at the tribal symbol. His emotions showed in his face as they changed from pain to pride. "This is an amazing thing, my Little One," He kissed her forehead gently and let her lay down. "I never thought in a million years that my daughter would ever wear this symbol on their arm. You have conducted yourself with honor and courage. I am proud of you."

**A/N - Epilogue to follow. Show me some love... push the Review button!**


	19. The Letter Epilogue

**The Letter 2012 [Epilogue]**  
May 15, 2013

Dearest Rachel,

ALOHA! Bet you weren't expecting an actual letter from me, but I decided to go "old school." How're things in La Push? I hope that things are still calm. I haven't heard anything about any wolf-y excitement up there. I hope that it stays that way.

How is Leah doing? She has written me notes from time to time, but doesn't give me anything in detail. I'm far away. Take pity on me. _I need details!_

Mala found a job through the school now that he has finished his masters degree. He will work with the USGS (US Geological Survey). He works on Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunamis and such. When an event happens he will need to go there to see what happened. So far he loves it! We still go to the beach a lot, though.

The new house is coming along nicely. Our old furniture will have to do until later, so we are painting the walls to match what we had before. We finished the front room and the bathroom. I had thought of using neon colors, but went with pastels instead. They are the colors of the old front room, just toned down a lot. It is really pretty. Come and see! But we are not done with it. The kitchen is next.

What is this I hear about you and Paul? You are going to have another baby? Why didn't I hear this from you first? Billy called to tell me. I am so happy for you! Do you want a girl or a boy this time? When are you due? Are you feeling all right? How will this affect your teaching at the res school? What does Little Ephraim think of being a big brother?

Guess what, I'm pregnant, too! It has taken all of these five years without phasing to start my cycles up again. I guess that means that I'm really human again. I had only had my second period, so we were lucky. When I skipped the third one, I just thought that it would take time to re-establish a pattern, but we had interrupted the pattern ourselves. You and I might be due at about the same time. Oh, one more thing. My sonogram was so exciting, I'm having twins! I guess that I'm lucky that I am not having four or five, being a wolf and all - just joking. They are fraternal, each with their own little apartment, so to speak. It is too early to tell what sex they are. I'm fine. If you hear from any of the Cullens, would you tell them for me? I'm sure that the doctor would want to know. So far, though, everything is progressing like normal little human babies should.

When we first got back home after you left in 2008, every time I would get upset over anything Mala would watch me closely. He was hesitant to touch me. We both needed time to get back to normal, but he was too careful. He didn't want to hurt me. One day I decided to take things into my own hands and showed him a thing or two about the passion of a Quileute female wolf. He was surprised, but he liked it. Now and then he likes to see her come out again. Now that he knows I won't pop into a wolf he is much better. _Much_ better. We still have little tiffs from time to time, like we did before, but no big crisis arguments. We would never cause such pain to each other. He tries to keep everything peaceful and calm. He is a gem!

Hope you didn't worry too much about the excitement we had over here. Did you see the videos online? The tsunami was only about a foot tall. You could hardly even see it, and we had all evacuated and everything. The oceanographers and news reporters recorded everything. It was the first event that Mala got to work on. You can see it reported on TV and on the internet, but it was much ado about nothing. It is much better to be safe than sorry, though.

Well, there's not much more to write about. I'm tired. Write me soon!

Love, Rebecca

**AN - Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed the story. I want to thank Stephenie Meyer who lets us play around with her characters and also my daughter-in-law who helped with some editing and my daughter Fuzzyltlwingedthing for additional editing and posting. Don't forget to click Review!**


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